The best way to explain just how delicious this cake tastes is by telling you that my brother-in-law is pretty allergic to eggs, (though he can usually handle it if there’s only an egg or two in a whole cake).
With that being said…this recipe definitely calls for 6 eggs. So when I saw him cutting a slice for himself, I thought I would give him the 6 eggs disclaimer in case he couldn’t stomach it (haha I’m hilarious, lets all take a quick pause to appreciate that pun). Anyways, his response was:
Uhm yeah Ambreen…you’re a little late. This is my third slice. But it’s fine– it’s definitely worth the allergic reaction.
I mean, if my daring (reckless?) brother-in-law’s actions don’t convince you to try this cake then I don’t know what will.*
As I post more of my baking adventures, I’m sure a trend will appear– so let me be the first to say that I am fully biased in any baking that involves nuts, coffee, chocolate, or coconut. So obviously this cake stood no chance
(nuts + a hint of coffee= YES YES YES)!
Because really. GUYS. LOOK AT THOSE PISTACHIOS. Who is not obsessed?
And then the other main ingredient in this cake is cardamom. Have you guys ever baked with cardamom? It’s one of those unexpected ingredients that you won’t be able to stop incorporating in any recipe. In Pakistan, we use cardamom pods in our main entrees to add that little burst of subtle flavor (as I hope to show you guys in the Taste of Pakistan section)! Well I started baking with cardamom a few years back, and my mom is always surprised at how well it works in desserts as well as main dishes. So if you haven’t had the chance to try it yet, this recipe is the perfect thing to get your new obsession started.
There was also a moment in baking this cake where I had a mini-panic attack. As you can see in the recipe, I tried doing a crumb layer on top of the cake which usually goes really well. Except I forgot this batter was super fluid and basically once the heating hit the pan (haha get it?) the crumb layer kind of sunk into the cake. I decided to not tell my family what I was aiming for and they ended up raving about the “pistachio layer” in the middle of the cake. So..all’s well that ends well? Either way, if your batter ends up thick enough to hold the crumb layer, I’m sure it would be even more delectable (and yes, I would like pictures if anyone tackles that step).
*Don’t worry guys- no brother-in-laws were harmed in the consumption of this cake
- ½ cup pistachios
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 13 ounces all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons coffee
- 3 ounces ground pistachios
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 12 ounces unsalted butter, a little cold
- 13 ounces granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 4.5 ounces milk
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch cake pan.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, baking power salt, and cardamom powder, and set aside
- In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs slowly, making sure to incorporate them thoroughly into the mixture. Scrape bowl when necessary to make sure the mixture in consistent throughout.
- In turns, add the flour mixture and the milk. Once the milk and flour have been incorporated, add the ground pistachios and mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Set aside.
- For the pistachio layer, add the pistachios, cardamom, flour, and sugar into a food processor and pulse until the ingredients come together to form a dense mixture.
- Add crumb mixture to top of cake.
- Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a cake tester or knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Wait for the cake to cool down— atleast enough for it to pop out of the cake pan easily, because enjoying a fresh, warm slice of cake is significantly more enjoyable.
