My birthday cake, made with freshly ground pistachio and almond flour, spiced with cardamom, and filled with homemade lemon jelly and mascarpone chantilly. The sponge is my adaptation of an Ottolenghi-inspired recipe for the traditional Persian Love Cake, originally shared by the LA-based, ultra-creative Zozo Baking. In Persian folklore, a woman once used the cake’s fragrant blend of saffron, cardamom, rosewater, and turmeric to enchant a prince. My adaptation leans into just the cardamom, brightend with citrus zest and vanilla extract– a flavor that’s crisp, aromatic and still remarkably sensual.