Pistachio Cake Recipe

Prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment. Toast shelled pistachios in a 350°F oven for 6–8 minutes until fragrant; cool and finely grind until slightly coarse (1 cup).

Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Scrape bowl as needed.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated, then add vanilla and lemon zest and mix briefly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in ground pistachios.

With mixer on low, add half the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk and oil, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix only until combined. Do not overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs and edges are golden. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

While cake bakes or cools, prepare pears. Melt butter in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add sugar and lemon juice, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture bubbles.

Place pear halves cut-side down and cook 3–4 minutes until caramelized. Turn and cook another 2–3 minutes.

Add water and carefully add whiskey (remove pan from heat first if flambéing; otherwise just add). Simmer 4–6 minutes until pears are tender but hold shape and syrup thickens slightly. Remove pears to a plate and keep warm. Reduce syrup a bit more if needed to coat pears.

Preheat oven to 350°F (if different from cake, do both together). In a bowl, rub cold butter into flour with fingertips or pulse briefly in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add powdered sugar and chopped pistachios and pulse or stir to combine. Press mixture lightly into a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake 10–12 minutes until pale golden. Remove, sprinkle flaky sea salt over warm crumbs, cool completely, then break into irregular crumbles.

In a large bowl, whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold in sweetened condensed milk, buttermilk, vanilla, ground pistachios (if using), and a pinch of salt until uniform. Pour into a loaf pan or container, cover, and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight until firm. Stir once after 1–2 hours to reduce large ice crystals for creamier texture.

Warm milk and cream in a small saucepan until just simmering; remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly temper warm milk into yolks in a thin stream while whisking constantly to avoid curdling.

Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats the back of the spoon (about 170–175°F / 77–80°C) — do not boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

Stir in whiskey and vanilla. Chill in an ice bath, then refrigerate until serving. If a thinner sauce is desired, whisk in 1–2 tbs warm milk before serving.

Slice a generous wedge of pistachio cake and place on a dessert plate. Warm 1 pear half per serving and arrange next to the cake slice.

Spoon 2 tbs of whiskey anglaise around cake and pear. Add a scoop (about 1/2 cup) of buttermilk ice cream beside the cake. Scatter a tablespoon of salty cookie crumble over the cake and ice cream for texture. Finish with a few whole toasted pistachios or a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.