Description
This delicious pistachio lemon loaf cake is a perfect balance of nutty and bright flavors, topped with a sweet glaze and toasted pistachios.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¼ cup raw shelled pistachios, toasted + more for garnish
- 1 cup granulated sugar + more for top
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325ºF with rack set in middle position. Line an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
- Process 1 ¼ cups pistachios, 1 cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely ground into a powder, but not a paste, about 1 ½ minutes; scraping down sides and bottom halfway through.
- Pulse 8 tablespoons butter into pistachio mixture (10 pulses), then process until the mixture is clumpy yet smooth and shiny, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl halfway through.
- Stream in 3 eggs and ⅓ cup buttermilk and blend to combine, 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon almond extract; process to combine.
- Add 1 cup + 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon cardamom; process just until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle granulated sugar over top (1–2 tablespoons). Transfer to oven and bake until cake is tall, browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65–72 minutes.
- Let cake cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around cake and use parchment overhang to lift cake out of pan; transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.
- In a medium-small bowl, whisk together 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Pour glaze over cooled cake, allowing it to drip down sides of cake, and sprinkle with chopped toasted pistachios. Let glaze set, then slice and serve.
Notes
- This cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For a more intense pistachio flavor, consider adding a few drops of pistachio extract.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 100mg