Sorry for our absence, but it's been a busy one around here! There have been so many baking projects during Dylan's visit. My favorite was the night Dylan and I tried out a new all-day pizza dough project based on a focaccia recipe from Puglia (Bari more specifically). The pizza turned out pretty well but was probably not worth the effort so I won't post the recipe. Still, I did have my joy for the day (and many more) seeing Dylan sitting in front of the oven literally watching the pizza bake with childlike anticipation (and wearing Mom's fuzzy pink heart slippers while doing it). I raised a foodie!
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The pizza project may not have gone off exactly as we wanted, but other holiday baking was much more successful, starting with this cake I made for Christmas Eve dinner with my buddy Tom. Everyone loved it, and especially Dylan, who ranks it among his five favorite cakes ever. It's simple to make and the flavors (pistachio, cardamom, and orange) are a great change of pace from your standard chocolate fare.
Pistachio-Cardamom Loaf Cake
Adapted from Milk Street Bakes (2024) (video) (recipe)
Time: ~21 minutes to get the cake into the oven, plus baking, cooling, and glazing time
Bake raw pistachios at 300 degrees until fragrant and starting to darken, about 10 to 15 minutes, but watch carefully.
For the cake
210 grams (~1 cup) granulated white sugar
Zest of 1 orange
193 grams (1⅓ cups) shelled, unsalted pistachios, toasted and cooled (see note)
130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large eggs (~57 grams each still in the shell)
120 grams (½ cup) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
52 grams (¼ cup) olive oil
60 grams (¼ cup) fresh orange juice from the orange you zested
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the topping
93 grams (¾ cup) confectioners sugar
30 grams (2 tablespoons) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 325 degrees. Pam spray a 9-by-5-inch (1¼ pound) loaf pan; if it’s not nonstick like a USA Pan, dust evenly with flour, then tap out the excess.
2. Place the sugar and orange zest in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade. Process until the zest is evenly distributed and the sugar is damp and fragrant, about 10 seconds. Scrape into a large bowl.
3. Place the pistachios into the food processor, and pulse until coarsely ground, about 8 to 10 one-second pulses. Remove 2 tablespoons and set aside for the topping.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt to the food processor. Process until the pistachios are finely ground (the mixture will turn pale green), about 45 seconds, scraping the bowl down once.
5. Add the eggs, 120 grams yogurt, olive oil, orange juice, and vanilla to the bowl with the sugar, and whisk until thoroughly combined and smooth. Dump in the pistachio-flour mixture; fold until just combined with a spatula.
6. Scrape into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 50 to 60 minutes (depending how accurate your oven temp is).
7. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.
8. For the topping: Place the cooled cake on a small piece of wax or parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and 30 grams yogurt until thick and smooth. Spread over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the reserved 2 tablespoons of coarsely ground pistachios over the glaze. Let the topping set for at least 10 minutes before serving.
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