Lemon-Frosted Pistachio Cake

Recipe from Nigel Slater

Adapted by Julie Powell

Lemon-Frosted Pistachio Cake
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
4(958)
Comments
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This fantastically moist pistachio cake, adorned with the simplest icing of confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, is adapted from Nigel Slater, the prolific British cookbook author. It is elegant and slightly exotic, rich with ground pistachios and almonds, orange zest and rose water. And it's delightfully simple to throw together: once you've ground the nuts, you'll have it in the oven minutes. —Julie Powell

Featured in: The Way We Eat; The British Invasion

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

    For the Cake

    • 8ounces butter
    • 1cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
    • 3large eggs
    • 1cup finely ground unsalted pistachios
    • 1cup finely ground blanched almonds
    • Juice and finely grated zest of 1 orange
    • 1teaspoon rosewater
    • ½cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

    For the Icing

    • 1cup confectioners' sugar
    • 2tablespoons lemon juice
    • Crystallized rose petals and shelled pistachios, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

414 calories; 28 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 29 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 23 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8-inch nonstick cake pan with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    In a mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter and superfine sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the ground pistachios and almonds. Add the orange juice, orange zest and rosewater, and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour; do not overmix.

  3. Step 3

    Scoop the mixture into the cake pan, and bake until the top is firm and a light golden brown, about 40 minutes. Lightly cover the top of the cake with foil and continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry, about 10 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for several minutes, then remove and cool on a rack.

  4. Step 4

    When the cake is cool, make the icing: mix the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl, and pour over the cake. If desired, decorate with crystallized rose petals and pistachios. Allow the icing to set for 30 minutes before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
958 user ratings
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Comments

bg

Please, please provide weight measures. Do that many people really cook by volume these days? Save yourself the trouble of converting to volume, NYTimes Cooking, & save us all the guesswork & hassle of looking up conversion tables for the weight of pistachios. 1C + 1T? Love you, but the volume measures in SO many recipes on this otherwise wonderful site are mind boggling. Of course I still slog my way through when I really want to try one out, but it's frustrating. Thank you!

Cas

I made this cake with a few changes and the result was delicious! Based on previous reviews I used half salted pistachios, and half unsalted pistachios; only half of the amount of orange juice, and I added ground cardamom. I could distinguish each of the flavors, yet the taste was subtle and delicate. I baked a test cake, which was fine without the icing, but decided to add it to the cake I served my guests. Either way, it was great!

mary

One cup almonds/pistachios: is that one cup *ground*, or one cup before they are ground? Thank you.

macsf

This was very good, but I did make some modifications. 1. Used baking powder and baking soda as a leavening agent to make sure the cake rose. 2. Baked in a bundt pan. 3. Subbed almond flour for the ground nuts. 4. Used regular sugar. Additional comments - I would make this again, though I would be tempted to boil then puree the whole orange and add that to the cake (like in this recipe https://body-change.today/recipes/1014409-almond-cake%3C/a%3E%29. I served this with whip cream. Worked very nicely.

Jacqui

This is my favorite cake. I make it for myself every year on my birthday.

Chefany

I have made cakes for a living for 50 years now! This cake is wonderful as is. However, i agree with some of the changes. 6 oz. Of butter is fine, double the rosewater, and use a little in the glaze if you like it. Salt isn't necessary but would bring up the flavor so I agree with using salted nuts. That ought to do it! Also, it does take longer to bake. About an hour total time. This cake is rich and delicious. Serve small portions.

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Credits

Adapted from "The Kitchen Diaries," by Nigel Slater

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