Pistachio-Cardamom Cake
Between exacting methods and complicated construction, baking a cake can be a daunting affair. A loaf cake, however, pairs the polish of a more elegant confection with the ease of a quick bread. A green-tinged, nut-topped version from a bakery in Paris inspired our take with ground pistachios and orange zest, made richer with Greek-style yogurt.
Don’t skip toasting the pistachios. Toast them at 300 degrees until they’re fragrant and begin to darken, 10 to 15 minutes. Get the best results from grinding the nuts until they are nearly as fine as flour. If you can’t find unsalted pistachios, reduce the salt in the recipe by half.
We prefer regular olive oil to butter, but vegetable oil also works. If you like a stronger flavor, use extra virgin olive oil. Cooling the cake was essential to a thick glaze.
1 cup (198 grams) white sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest, plus ¼ cup orange juice (about 1 orange)
1 cups (185 grams) shelled, unsalted pistachios, toasted and cooled
1 cup (142 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup (85 grams) powdered sugar
Heat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the middle position. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with oil and flour. In a food processor, combine the white sugar and orange zest; process until the sugar is damp and fragrant, 5 to 10 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add the pistachios to the processor and pulse until coarse, 8 to 10 pulses. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the nuts for topping the cake. Add the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt to the processor with the nuts. Process until the nuts are finely ground, about 45 seconds.
Return to the sugar mixture and whisk in the eggs, ½ cup of yogurt, the oil, orange juice, and vanilla. Add the nut-flour mixture and fold until mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, and when a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with moist crumbs, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
In a bowl, whisk the remaining yogurt with the powdered sugar until thick and smooth. Spread over the cake. Sprinkle with the reserved nuts. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.
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