Lemon-Frosted Pistachio Cake


Spring is what comes to mind when thinking about this cake, as it is citrusy, moist and loaded with two kinds of nuts. Really quite nice actually. The recipe, which is adapted from Nigel Slater's cookbook, "The Kitchen Diaries", originally called for crystallized rose petals and rose water. The cake looks glorious in his photo dressed with the lemon frosting and the bright colors; the pink from the flowers and the green from the pistachio pieces. I did not add the rose petals or rose water, only because I did not have any on hand. I plan on adding both to my must haves in the kitchen list. I do enjoy collecting new foods and spices, to further expand my cooking knowledge. Sometimes it's the littlest dab of this or a touch of that, that completely takes a dish to a new level.

Anyway, if you can, bake this cake soon to help bring in the new season.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 cups shelled pistachio nuts
2/3 cup ground almonds
1 orange (zest ed and juiced)
1 1/4 teaspoons rose water
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
Crystallized rose petals and shelled pistachio nuts, to decorate (optional)

For the icing:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 generous tablespoons lemon juice

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 325F. Line the bottom of a non-stick 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar in a food mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, blending between each one.

In food processor add pistachios and pulse until nuts are a fine crumb. Add ground pistachios and almonds to butter mixture. Next add the orange zest and juice, mix. (This is point where Mr. Slater adds the juice of the orange with the rose water, then adds to mix). Then fold in flour.

Spoon dough into baking pan, bake 50 minutes, be prepared to place aluminum foil over the cake the last 10 minutes of baking to keep top from getting to brown.

Let cool in pan. Decorate with icing and let set. Here is where he adds the rose petal and pistachio pieces. (I drizzled icing over the cake when slightly warm and let it soak in). Then sprinkled with a light coating of powdered sugar, pistachios and some zest ed lemon peel. Enjoy!


Comments

  1. This cake looks absolutely delicious! Great flavors and texture.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. I'm so glad spring is here! And this cake is the perfect taste of spring. I've been loving pistachios lately. Can't wait to try this : )

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    1. Hi Natalie, I love spring as well, there's so many new dishes to try.

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  3. what a beautiful cake to usher in spring!
    i bought a bottle of rosewater over a year ago, for a recipe, and i have not touched it since. either i need to use it more or not go exotic ingredients that aren't used as often.

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    1. Hi Lan, Yeah I know what you mean....I have quite a few of those kinds of things around my house, but I just love collecting them. Kinda strange, Huh!

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  4. This really looks like spring. I love lemon and all kinds of nuts. This is my kind of everyday cake...even though I'd say it's pretty special!

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  5. Looks like my kind of cake. I love lemon paired with nuts.

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  6. I'll bet your kitchen smelled so good while this was baking...this looks like something I might try for Easter. I wonder if one can easily make rose water at home and how long it would keep...

    We almost have Spring here in the Spokane Valley!

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    1. Hi Sandra, HGTV had something on making your own rose water, not sure if it was for cooking or not. I bet your wanting to get out to that garden of yours again.

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  7. What a beautiful cake Cheri. Love the pistachio's, they are so decorative. Sounds delicious.

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  8. This looks gorgeous! I love the combination of pistachios and citrus. And the light icing - perfect for spring!

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    1. Thanks Erica, this is one of my favorite combinations as well.

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  9. I love the richness of nutty cakes...and the taste of nuts and citrus fruit. Beautifully delicious cake! :) ela

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  10. There is nothing better than a citrus cake, love the pairing of lemon and pistachio!

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  11. Absolutely lovely! This has spring written all over it. Great job!

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  12. Yum yum yum...I looove lemon cake, and this one sounds and looks great!

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  13. Oh boy, this looks fantastic! I love citrus flavored desserts, especially this time of year. I will have to try this one out!

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    1. Hi Tammy, spring time is all about the citrus for sure.

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  14. Most cakes aren't really my thing but I've definitley gotta have a big slice of this cake! I love lemony pastries and this looks so moist and fluffy ;)

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    1. Thanks Gwen, I'm not a big cake person myself but this one was pretty good.

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  15. What a gorgeous cake! I love pistachios and don't bake with them enough. I bet they add great flavor paired with the lemon.

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    1. Hi Reeni, they were very good paired together, who knew, right?

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  16. Hey, Cheri, great minds think alike with the pistachios!! I love Nigel Slater, especially The Kitchen Diaries ... I've made a couple of his recipes recently and they always turn out well. Looks like you did a great job with this cake ... it's brekky time here and I could really just eat a nice big piece!

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    1. Hi Helen, I thought the same thing when I saw your gorgeous looking cake. Ha!

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  17. Cheri, a very special spring cake with a delicious flavor combination - who could resist ground almonds and pistachios, rose water, orange and lemon - not me. My kind of cake, that´s for sure - and I know that I would really enjoy this recipe, as I am a huge fan of Nigel Slater ´s cake recipes!
    Such a nice post!

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    1. Thanks Andrea, I'm also a bog fan of Nigel Slater's, he does cakes right.

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  18. What a lovely cake!! I am all about pistachios in sweets lately, and can't wait to try this!

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  19. Cheri, I love these kinds of cakes. I call them snacking cakes, but I should call them disappearing cakes. These flavors are great together.

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    1. Ha! Ha! I like that, disappearing cakes, that's so true, thanks for stopping by.

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  20. Cheri, this cake looks delicious and I bet the citrus flavor is just perfect. It's finally starting to feel like spring here in Michigan and not a minute too late!

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    1. Thanks, it was a very moist cake, thanks for stopping by.

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  21. Oh my goodness, what a lovely cake! Rose and pistachio are a match made in heaven, and I can't get over that beautiful crumb. Gorgeous.

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