That was my birthday cake! The dairy connection to this cake is the saffron-infused buttercream frosting. I made several modifications to this recipe for Persian Love Cake.
Per the recommendations from several reviewers, I added 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the egg whites, to prevent the cooked cake from falling. Instead of buying powdered sugar, I whirred some Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Fair Trade Cane Sugar in my blender for a minute. Since I rarely use powdered sugar, it makes sense to just powder what I needed rather than buy a whole pound of it. I also used slightly less sugar than called for–only about 12 tablespoons. I used twice as much cardamom as the recipe suggested, but wish I had used more. I ground the cardamom seeds–whole seeds sounded unappetizing to me. I love the combination of pistachios and saffron, so I added crushed ones between the cake layers, as well as on top for decoration. Yum!
Lost Arts Kitchen 
>wow! i am blown away by the idea of a saffron-rose buttercream! the cardamom cake sounds delicious.happy birthday!