I have never tried the dried leaves but I always use a splash of rose water in my iced tea… it’s delicious!
It’s funny you mention the cake, I have a concentrated rose tincture that I bought from an Asian market. On the back it gives you a guide on how much to use in cakes, boiled sweets, biscuits, icing, creams and even fudge. You are right, other cultures are used to florals in their foods, drinks and even gum. You never, or rarely see florals in foods in the US, which is another reason why I think Americans have such a hard time with it in their tobacco (Lakelands), we equate it to soaps, fragrances and cleaners, not something we consume regularly. I would personally love to try cake with floral notes in it. I went on a mission to find a floral Turkish Delight but I couldn’t find any that had rose or florals in them in Austin, they were all Americanized.. even the TD’s I bought at the Greek and Asian markets.