Pistachio-Cardamom Cake Recipe with Lime Syrup
This syrup is divine. I like to double the amount of syrup. Of course, some may like less, but I’m someone who likes the nutty cake drenched in the tart, gooey syrup.
Makes one 8 inch round cake; serves 6
Plan to make TWO cakes in order to serve 10 people
Ingredients:
Butter for greasing, plus 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup raw shelled pistachios
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 11/2 cups
1 ¾ cups sugar?
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt?
3 large eggs?
½ cup whole plain yogurt
For the Lime Syrup:
½ cup fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime?
¾ cup sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter an 8-inch round cake pan.
- In a food processor, combine the pistachios, the cardamom, and the 1 tablespoon flour and pulse just until finely ground. (Be careful not to over grind or you may get nut butter.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ground pistachio mixture,? ¾ cup of the sugar, the 1½ cups flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Add the 10 tablespoons butter in small pieces, toss to distribute, and stir just until combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and yogurt. Fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until well combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 15 minutes. Invert the pan and unmold the cake onto another rack. Let cool for another 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the lime syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the lime juice and zest and the sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the syrup to thicken and get infused with the lime.
- Poke the cake all over with a long wooden skewer while it is still slightly warm. Drizzle the syrup all over the cake and let it soak in—be sure to use all of the syrup; the more syrup, the better. Cut into wedges and serve.
Recipe from Small Gatherings by Jessica Strand (Egg & Dart Press, May 2013).
Image by Sheri Giblin.
