Special Pistachio Cake Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan or line with parchment paper. If using a bundt pan, grease thoroughly.

Grind pistachios

Place roasted shelled pistachios (1 cup) in a food processor and pulse to a very fine crumb. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed; do not overprocess into a paste. Measure and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter (3/4 cup) and granulated sugar (1 1/4 cups) on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl once.

Add eggs and flavoring

Add the eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each addition until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract (2 tsp). If using the optional vegetable oil (2 tbsp), add it now to help keep the cake moist.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour (2 cups), baking powder (2 tsp), and fine sea salt (1/2 tsp) until evenly distributed.

Alternate dry and wet

With the mixer on low, add one-third of the dry mixture to the butter-egg mixture and mix until just combined. Pour in half the milk (3/8 cup), mix briefly, then add another third of the dry mixture, the remaining milk, and finally the last of the dry mixture. Scrape the bowl; mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.

Fold in ground pistachios

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the finely ground pistachios into the batter until evenly distributed. The batter will be slightly thick and speckled with green.

Bake

Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. If using the optional pistachio crumb, sprinkle the coarsely chopped pistachios mixed with brown sugar and a teaspoon of melted butter evenly over the batter before baking. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–40 minutes for a 9-inch round pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If using a bundt pan, bake 40–50 minutes.

Cool

Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, invert onto the rack, remove parchment, and cool completely before glazing (about 1 hour).

Prepare crumb and sprinkle: Combine coarsely chopped roasted pistachios (1/4 cup), light brown sugar (1 tbsp), and melted butter (1 tsp) in a small bowl. Stir until evenly moistened. Sprinkle this mixture over the cake batter just before placing the pan in the oven to create a crunchy pistachio topping.

Make glaze and finish: Whisk together powdered sugar (1 cup) with milk or cream (2 tbsp) and vanilla (1/2 tsp) until smooth and pourable. If too thick, add more milk a teaspoon at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cooled cake and sprinkle the finely ground pistachios (1 tbsp) on top for garnish. Let glaze set about 15–20 minutes before slicing.