Love Cake

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 170°C conventional / 150°C fan. Grease a small 15 cm square or 16 cm round cake tin with the butter and line the base and sides with baking paper. A fully lined tin is important here because the cake is rich in sugar and nuts and can catch at the edges.

   5 g unsalted butter, for greasing1 piece baking paper
2. 2

   Toast the cashews in the preheating oven for 6-8 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant, not dark. Cool for 2 minutes, then pulse them in a processor to a coarse meal with a little texture remaining; avoid grinding to a paste or the cake will turn oily.

   80 g raw cashews
3. 3

   Place the semolina in a dry small pan over medium-low heat and stir for 2-3 minutes until it smells nutty and feels lightly warmed through. Do not brown it; this step removes any raw taste and helps the crumb bake evenly. Tip into a bowl to stop the cooking.

   55 g fine semolina
4. 4

   In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Proper creaming is crucial because this small cake relies on trapped air as well as the eggs for lift.

   55 g unsalted butter, softened85 g caster sugar
5. 5

   Beat the eggs in a cup. Add them to the butter mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition so the mixture stays smooth. If it looks slightly curdled near the end, that is acceptable, but do not add the eggs too quickly.

   2 large eggs
6. 6

   Fold in the ground cashews, toasted semolina, honey, rose water, lime zest, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and salt. Mix just until evenly combined; the batter should be thick, aromatic, and spoonable.

   80 g raw cashews55 g fine semolina20 g thick honey1 1/2 tsp rose water1 tsp lime zest1 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg1/4 tsp ground cinnamon1/8 tsp ground cardamom1/2 tsp vanilla extract1/8 tsp fine sea salt
7. 7

   Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake for 28-32 minutes until the surface is deep golden brown, the edges are just beginning to pull from the tin, and the centre still has the slightest soft wobble. Love Cake should be moist and dense, not baked dry.

8. 8

   Cool in the tin for 15 minutes so the crumb can settle, then lift out and let it cool for another 5 minutes before dusting lightly with icing sugar. Slice into 2 generous portions and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

   1 tsp icing sugar

Origin & History

Love Cake is a celebrated Sri Lankan festive cake associated especially with Christmas and other special occasions. It reflects the island's layered culinary history, combining local cashews and semolina with spice and rose water influences shaped by colonial-era exchange. The traditional cake is usually made in large trays, then cut into small rich pieces for sharing.