This utterly delicious Pistachio Lemon Cake is an updated lemon variation of the Orange Pistachio Cake I posted back in 2014. The reason for the update is twofold. The images for the 2014 recipe are a bit embarrassing and I was given some beautiful pistachios by a friend who imports them to South Africa from Iran.
I loved hearing a bit more about pistachios, the king of nuts. The English name pistachio is derived from “Pisteh”, which is a Persian name and until a few decades ago, Iran was called Persia. And the adjective Persian is still widely used for anything that is related to Iran, its history, civilization, culture, art, language, food and people. Iran has been a producing pistachios since the 5th century BC and have been exporting their pistachios for over 100 years. Iran has secured a foothold in the world market and recently managed to once again regain the position as top producer. Pistachios are cholesterol free, heart-healthy and rich in protein and fibre.
On a photography note, I have partnered with Nikon South Africa and will present a Food Photography Workshop on the 16th of March 2017 in Cape Town. I will spend the morning showing how I create and style an image and then hand over to participants to style and photograph their own images. I am really looking forward to this workshop and hope to see you there. Follow this link to book your spot.
Ingredients
- 150 g butter softened
- 165 g caster sugar
- 1½ tbsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 200 g ground almonds
- 130 g ground pistachios about 250g in their shells
- half tsp salt
- Lemon drizzle :
- 100 g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp rose water optional
- Decoration:
- chopped pistachios for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C
- Grease and line a 23 x 13 x 8cm loaf pan with baking paper and set side
- Beat the butter, sugar, zest and vanilla for 10 - 12 minutes until pale and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
- Beat the mixture for a further 3 - 4 minutes
- Fold through the ground almonds and ground pistachios to combine
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top
- Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it and the cake has pulled away from the sides of the tin
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin at room temperature
- Make the drizzle by adding the lemon juice to the icing sugar. Add the rose water if using and mix. Add more icing sugar or lemon juice if needed to get the required consistency
- Once completely cooled, remove the cake from the tin and pour the lemon drizzle over the cake
- Sprinkle with pistachios (if used) and serve
- Adapted from Jennifer Rodda - Milk and Honey
Click here for more delicious recipes with pistachios recipes
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Disclaimer *** I received Nuttisome Premium Persian Pistachios as a gift. This blog post is written out of my own accord and I have not received any payment for it.
Martina Barth
Feb 20, 2017
Hi Hein, God, that looks amazing, will try it. Do you think I can use Xylitol instead of suger?
heinstirred
Feb 20, 2017
Hello Martina. I am sure you could – it could affect the taste a bit. I am just not sure what quantity Xylitol to use to replace the sugar, you would have to research a bit. Please let me know how it turned out.
Sabrina
Feb 23, 2017
This cake looks incredible!! I’m a sucker for anything with pistachios 🙂
heinstirred
Feb 23, 2017
Aren’t they just the best
Teresa
May 4, 2020
Tried this recipe, it’s delicious, will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing it!
heinstirred
May 4, 2020
So happy to hear Teresa. Have a lovely week further.
Ruth Gosselin
Sep 9, 2021
What is castor sugar and how would I grind my pistachios and almonds
heinstirred
Sep 9, 2021
Hello Ruth
It is a fine granulated white sugar
With a coffee grinder or food processor