Pistachio and lemon loaf cake
he amount of pistachios I’ve used here is a bit extravagant, but the cake goes quite a long way and is a really great special-occasion number, so it’s worth it. Like all cakes full of ground nuts, it’s lovely and moist, plus the uniced cake keeps well.
Ingrediënten
- 1 cup 150 g pistachios
- ½ cup 80 g almonds
- ½ cup 75 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup 125 g butter, softened
- 1 cup 220 g caster (superfine) sugar
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3 eggs
- LEMON ICING
- 1 cup 125 g icing (confectioners’) sugar
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Instructies
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
- Grease and line an 8 cup (2 litre) capacity, 13 x 24 cm (5 x 9½ inch) loaf tin with baking paper.
- Spread the pistachios and almonds over a shallow baking tray and roast for about 10 minutes or until they are just becoming aromatic.
- Set the nuts aside to cool for a few minutes, then tip them into a food processor and blitz for about 5 seconds or until rough crumbs form.
- Remove and reserve 2 tablespoons of the crumbs, then process the remaining crumbs until you have a fine meal.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and blitz for a few seconds to combine.
- Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a mixing bowl and wooden spoon) until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Fold in the nut and flour mixture and the lemon juice, then gently spoon the batter into the tin.
- Bake the cake for about 45 minutes or until it is pulling away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the icing, mix the icing sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth and thick.
- Pour the icing over the cooled cake and let it set for a few minutes, then sprinkle the reserved nut crumbs over the top.
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