This easy rosewater cake with raspberries is a wonderful combination of floral and fruity notes. Perfect for Mother's day or Valentines Day. Imagine enjoying a slice with a steaming cup of masala chai for cozy afternoon tea, or dressing it up with whipped cream for a special occasion.

Overhead image of rose water cake with cake slices.

My love affair with rose-infused treats has blossomed over the years, much like the delicate flavor of rosewater itself. A few years back I made rose tiramisu. Imagine the rose milk soaked ladyfingers, but infused with the fragrant essence of rosewater and rose syrup.

This rosewater cake is based on my vanilla loaf cake recipe. I decided to swap out the vanilla extract for rosewater and also incorporated some almond meal into the batter along with a touch of green cardamom powder. The combination turned absolutely delightful!

It wasn't a huge surprise, though, because rosewater and cardamom are common flavorings in many Indian cakes (such as mawa cake), mithai (indian sweets) and rice dishes (like biryani).

This rosewater cake recipe is simple and straightforward. It uses basic ingredients and isn't overly sweet. The cake has a good crumb, however its not airy or spongy.

About My Recipe

To achieve the best rose flavor, use high-quality rose water or essence, but go easy on the green cardamom. Too much can overpower the delicate rose notes. Freshly ground cardamom is the way to go for the most vibrant flavor.
That said, floral notes can be tricky in baking! Flavor changes in the oven make it hard to judge by taste alone. Use a trusted rosewater brand for this recipe – a new one might throw off the balance. My first attempt used too much rosewater, so I reduced it for the perfect amount.
In a pinch, you can easily substitute the almond flour with the same amount of all-purpose flour.
This rose cake is a bit different compared to classic persian love cake – it skips the citrus flavors like lemon and orange, allowing the rosewater to take center stage!
If you don't get raspberries where you live, you can leave them out. This cake is still incredibly delicious without them, making it adaptable to your taste and what's readily available.
Coating the raspberries in a bit of flour before folding them in can help them stay suspended in the batter. This is great if you want them evenly distributed throughout the cake. But hey, I kind of like the way they sink and create a pretty red border on the slices – like a hidden berry surprise!

Ingredients

Sugar - On the day I shot this recipe, I was out of granulated sugar and had no mood to run to store. So I used raw sugar at home. It worked fine except that took longer to cream the butter and sugar. Plus it made the crumb brownish.
Raspberries - Fresh or frozen raspberries work great! Choose smaller ones to prevent them from getting mushy in the cake.
Yogurt - I use plain, whole milk greek yogurt. You could use skimmed yogurt as well. I have made it with sour cream once and it worked fine too.
Butter - I use salted butter in this recipe and no, it wont make your cake salty.
Rosewater- Use high quality so that it shines post baking. You could use rose extract/ rose essence too. Don't use rose syrup.
Almond flour - I use blanced almond flour(available at Trader Joe's). It is different from almond meal.

Instructions

Line the sides and bottom of (4.5 inch by 8.5 inch) loaf pan (non-affiliate) with parchment paper. Pre heat oven to 350F.
In a medium mixing bowl sift the dry ingredients - flour & baking powder.
In stand mixer bowl or a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes or untill light and fluffy. Add the eggs and yogurt along with rosewater and green cardamom powder. Mix until pale and slightly fluffy.

Wet ingredients added to a large mixing bowl made of glass.

Creamed sugar, butter eggs and yogurt for making rose cake.

Once the wet ingredients are ready, add the flour mix and almond flour. Mix or stir on low speed until just combined. Add the milk and give a final whirl to combine.

Dry ingredients are added to wet ingredients in mixing bowl.

Fold the raspberries gently (so that they dont break) and the chopped pistachios.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepped loaf pan. Smoothen the top using offset spatula.

Raspberries and pistachios are added to rosewater cake batter.

Rose water cake batter poured in loaf pan and sprinkled with pistachios.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted in center of the cake comes out clean.Mine was ready at 44 minute mark. Take out of the oven and let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and completely cool down.
Frost with whipped cream or enjoy as it is with tea. This keep well for 3 days in a fridge. Wam up a bit if you are eating as a tea cake.

Slice of rose rapsberry cake served on a pink and white plate.

Tips

To ensure a smooth batter, I take out all my ingredients, including milk, yogurt, and even the almond flour (yes, I keep mine in the fridge!), about an hour before baking to bring them to room temperature. Cold ingredients can make it harder to get a perfect texture.
Use freshly ground green cardamom for the most vibrant flavor. Simply pop cardamom pods open, add the seeds to a small mortar pestle and grind to a powder.
You can store the cake for 4-5 days refrigerated. Leave it out for 30 minutes or warm slighlt before serving.