You may notice there is a plethora of pistachio desserts in my back log of recipes. It’s because my Dad is a pistachio fanatic-and I inherited his love of nuts. Every year for his birthday I make him a special sweet using pistachios. As he has gotten older, he has become border-line diabetic. So I need to be careful with what sweets I tempt him with. This recipe I saw for Valentine’s Day on Food52. If you don’t follow this feed, GO FOLLOW THEM NOW. This is a great online foodzine and community for foodies.
At any rate, I was very intrigued with the rose water mingled with Meyer lemons and the bright yet earthy punch of cardamom in this recipe. I also liked that it was low in flour and sugar which made me feel better giving it to my Dad. It ended up being a huge hit with him-and that always makes me feel special.
Happy Birthday Dad!
Rose Scented Cardamom Pistachio Almond Cake
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Baker’s (superfine) sugar
3 eggs, room temp
1 cup finely ground salted pistachios (I pulsed mine in my food processor)
1 cup almond flour
1 Meyer lemon, zested and juiced
1 tsp. rose water
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cardamom
Icing
2 Tbsp. Meyer lemon juice
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
A tablespoon of reserved ground pistachios for decorating
Directions:
Spray an 8- or 9-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Hit it with some spray again and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the ground pistachios and almond meal on low and mix to combine. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and rose water and mix well.
Whisk the flour and cardamom together in a small bowl. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold this dry mixture into the wet butter and egg mixture. Do not over mix.
Transfer the mixture into the waiting pan and spread it out evenly, then bake for 40 minutes. Tent the top of the cake with aluminum foil that has a steam hole at the top and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the sides are starting to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake will no longer look wet-looking or sticky when it’s done. Allow the cake to cool down in the pan for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling down make the icing. Whisk together the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar. Pour this over the cooled cake. Sprinkle lightly with the reserved ground pistachios, then wait for at least 30 minutes for the icing to set before slicing and serving.
Flora is an award-winning creative director in Chicago turned food and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. She is also author to the popular BEE NATIVE! gardening book series and various children's books that celebrate the wonder and hard work of bees and butterflies. Her blog and social spaces inspire thousands to create, learn, cook, grow, and craft, making their world lovelier one pixel/petal/seed/bite/stitch/brushstroke at a time. Follow her on all the social spaces, YouTube, and Amazon, and get creative!
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