Description
This moist and flavorful pistachio lemon loaf cake is topped with a sweet glaze and garnished with toasted pistachios, making it a perfect treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¼ cups (160g) raw shelled pistachios, toasted + more for garnish
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar + more for top
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (113g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 large eggs (150g)
- ⅓ cup (85g) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (145g) whole-wheat flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons (6g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (2g) ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ¼ cups (140g) 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 tablespoons 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
- Ensure the pistachios are finely ground, but not turned into a paste.
- Let the cake cool completely before glazing for best results.
- Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 72 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 90mg