Wednesday 3 February 2016

Lemon Pistachio Cake










Whenever I go for a run, I reward myself with cake.  Cake is my carrot.



Lemon Pistachio Cake

For the Cake:
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
115 caster sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g ground almonds
100g grouns pistachios. plus extra chopped pistachios for sprinkling
Pinch fine sea salt
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
125g self raising flour, sifted

For the Syrup:
100g caster sugar
100ml lemon juice

For the Glaze:
225g icing sugar, sifted
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 180C.  Grease and line a 20cm springform cake pan with baking paper.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes on medium-high, until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, on at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate.  Stop the mixer and add the ground almonds, ground pistachios, salt, lemon zest and juice and flour.  Mix on low until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Leave the cake in the pan and set the pan on a wire rack to cool.

Make the Syrup:
While the cake is baking, place the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and put it on the stove over a high heat until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat.

Use a long skewer to poke holes all over the still-warm cake in its pan, going all the way through the cake to the bottom of the pan.  Pour the hot syrup all over the cake.  Leave to cool to room temperature before glazing.

Make the Glaze:
Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together until smooth and pour it over the cooled cake.  Sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

4 comments:

  1. I would say that for almost anything, Ckae for study, cake for a hard day at work, cake for...well just for the cake! Love the lemon and pistachio combo, it must be really great :)

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  2. This is definitely a sound strategy :) Heading for a run tonight, so I guess that means cake for dinner....
    Seriously love this combination, and that drippy glaze? Hmmmmmm....

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  3. This sounds like my kind of cake. I just happen to have some lemons & a bag of pistachio in the fridge needing to be used soon. I will definitely be making this cake tomorrow evening. Guess I know what I will be treating myself to for breakfast on Saturday morning along with a sizable mug of coffee. Cake - the breakfast of champions. Thanks for the recipe and the photos are terrific as usual.

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  4. This wonderful cake was the star attraction at our afternoon tea this afternoon! The combination of lemony syrup and pistachios is a match made in heaven (and we were!!!) Thanks so much for the recipe. Sure to be my "go to" lemon cake for ever more. ;

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