Delicious Pistachio Lemon Cake Recipe

You might have realised my obsession with pistachio, so it was only time I’d add it to a new recipe. And this is the one: the best pistachio lemon cake you’ll get your hands on because it’s the love child of a lemon drizzle and a pistachio fanatic (in this case, me).

So what happens when you leave the pistachio fanatic – me! – with plenty of time to create and a desire for cake? Well, that fanatic will end up making the cake. I had not baked a cake in a while, probably since moving back to Italy at the end of last year. Which, for me, means it has been far too long and oh so weird! I love baking, the kitchen is my happy place and nothing will change this. Sugar is a drug to me (spare me the lesson on the effects of sugar, I know) and sweet bakes are my only belief in life. My second love after Otis the sausage, of course.

But back to this pistachio lemon cake recipe, for a second. Or maybe longer, you know how it goes with bloggers and a recipe. This cake, or better, this loaf cake, is one you need to try immediately. Not only because of the fresh taste the lemons give it, but because the pistachios elevate your traditional lemon drizzle and make it one to never forget. So grab that whisk, bowl and spoon, we’re baking.

Pistachio Lemon Cake

You know I have quite the collection of recipes with pistachios, but if you don’t, well: here goes my list!

• Pistachio & Chocolate Chip Tea Loaf – one from when I just started this blog, maybe not the best pictures but such a delicious cake nonetheless;
• Easy Peasy Pistachio Panettone Recipe – can’t claim this as my creation, it’s actually from a good food blogger friend, but let me tell you this is simply a dream in panettone form;
• Almond & Pistachio Cookies – Fred and I were absolutely obsessed with these years ago, we used to make them pretty much every single weekend, and they never lasted until Monday;
• Christmas Biscotti With Cherry, Almond & Pistachio – because we love Christmas, we do tend to incorporate the stuff we love with the festivities we adore, and these are so great!

So, as you can see, this pistachio lemon cake is only adding to the already long list of bakes where the pistachio is included. How different is this one? Well, it’s just as delicious as all the others, and you need to try it yourself to see what the hype is all about.

What ingredients do I need to make this lemon pistachio cake?

You’ll be happy to know the pistachio lemon cake is made with ingredients that are 99% of the time in your kitchen already. You might have to run out to the shops for pistachios, but other than that it’s all staples you will have in your cupboards.

First off, let me make a point about the weights in this recipe for pistachio lemon cake. You will realise we’re working with 170g as a weight for all ingredients, including the eggs. This is the general rule for a basic sponge, and if your eggs weigh a little more or less than 170g, you will need to adjust all other ingredients accordingly. As an example, if your eggs are 150g, your flour, sugar and butter will all weigh 150g.

In this case for the pistachio lemon cake, you will need the eggs, self raising flour, white sugar and butter, but also lemon zest from 2 lemons and some shelled & crushed pistachio nuts. And this is for the actual cake. Then, you will need ingredients for the glaze, and that will be the juice from the 2 lemons you previously zested and some powdered sugar.

Last, but most definitely not least, it’s time for the decoration of this pistachio lemon cake, and while this is not mandatory, it’s worth noting that it does help with elevating the flavours! You will need 50 extra grams of shelled and ground pistachios and one lemon, sliced thinly. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, or so they say.

What about the nuts, where are they from and how do you actually pronounce their name?!

Funny you ask this – we are obsessed with pistachios but…are they actually nuts?! Botanically, they are not! Pistachios are the seeds of the pistachio tree. They originated in western Asia, and archaeologists believe pistachios became a food as early as 7,000 B.C. – if that’s not nuts, then I don’t know what is (pun intended, sadly!).

We, as Italians, tend to get oh so very annoyed with everyone because of (you guessed it) pronunciation and writing of the name. The green gold in question is actually pistacchio in Italian – double C right there with that H. And rather than pronouncing it as [ pi-stash-ee-oh], we like a hard K to replace the two Cs and H. So you will hear an Italian call it [pis-tak-kio]. You probably know better than me, don’t make fun of an Italian’s pronunciation when it comes to their food.

But why are we so obsessed with pistachio in Italy, you might wonder? Well, some of the best pistachios you can get your hands on are Sicilian pistachios. Pistachios grow around Bronte and Mount Etna in Eastern Sicily, as they have since the Middle Ages. The volcanic soil gives a beautiful intensity of flavour, and they are famed worldwide for their intense green colour (souschef.co.uk). And guess what?! Our dad comes from one of those small places where pistachios are grown!

Are pistachios any good for you?

Pistachios are indeed good for you, but like all things, in moderation. Among the many things though:

• they contain high levels of potassium and antioxidants;
• pistachios are bursting with fibre, minerals and unsaturated fat that can help keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol in check;
• their fibre and protein can make you feel fuller for longer;
• they can help you manage your weight since they’re a nutritious and satisfying snack;
• some studies suggest that eating pistachios lowers the amount of fat and sugar (glycemic index) in your blood, as well as improves the flexibility and tone of your blood vessels;
• they are cholesterol-free and a great source of vitamins and minerals, including manganese, phosphorous, copper and vitamin B6.

Source – Web MD.

And what about lemons?

Lemons are indeed a vital part of this delicious pistachio lemon cake, and I am sure it would be great to find out how good lemons actually are for us. Not that I am claiming for this cake to be healthy in any way, but surely you can look at it a little…differently?!

Lemons, as we all know, are high in vitamin C, fibre and various beneficial plant compounds. These nutrients are responsible for several health benefits. So let’s find out what they are:

• they support heart health;
• lemons are often promoted as a weight loss food, and there are a few theories as to why this is: one common theory is that the soluble pectin fibre in them expands in your stomach, helping you feel full for longer, but given not many people eat lemons whole and the fact that lemon juice contains no pectin, it might only be a theory; on the other hand, another theory suggests that drinking hot water with lemon will help you lose weight, however, drinking water is known to temporarily increase the number of calories you burn, so it may be the water itself that is helping with weight loss, not the lemon;
• lemons can help prevent kidney stones;
• they protect against anaemia and reduce cancer risk;
• lemons also improve your digestive health.

So, all in all, I guess the pros are very much outweighing the cons when it comes to lemons, even if they are just an ingredient in a recipe like this pistachio lemon cake (Source: Healthline).

How do I make this pistachio lemon cake?

This pistachio lemon cake is quick to whip up, it takes mere minutes to prepare the batter and decor too. You will start by preheating the oven to 180°C. Get it nice and toasty so the cake will bake evenly. You will then need to line a loaf tin with parchment paper and set it aside.

Next up is time to melt the butter using either the microwave or the stove, then you will set it aside to cool down a little. This is such an important step to make sure your eggs do not cook as you add it to the batter.

Now you are ready to rock and roll: in the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until they become light and fluffy, double in size and shiny. Then add the cooled butter slowly, in a stream, until fully incorporated. This will make the egg and sugar mixture so shiny, you will want to eat it by the spoon, please refrain from it!

Time for the flour, but make sure it’s only added and mixed in for a few seconds. You don’t want to over-mix this pistachio lemon cake and make a mess of it all. Once this is done, fold in the pistachios and lemon zest by hand, then pour in the tin you have prepared and bake the pistachio lemon cake for 30-35 minutes, or until the skewer test comes back dry.

As the pistachio lemon cake is baking, prepare the glaze by mixing the juice of the 2 lemons you have previously zested and the icing sugar until no lumps are left. I have even sieved it to make sure it was smooth, but there is really no need for this.

Once the pistachio lemon cake is out, drizzle it with the glaze and pistachios, then place the lemon slices once it’s cooled down. You are ready to serve now!

Can I substitute anything?

Of course, like any cake, substitutions are possible. You can turn this pistachio lemon cake into a simple lemon drizzle, or even omit the lemon to go for vanilla extract instead. And if you feel fancy, a pistachio cream filling – or even a buttercream made with cream cheese to have a nice layer of frosting on top.

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And that is the end of this fantastic recipe for the pistachio lemon cake.

So what did you think? Are you going to be trying and make this pistachio lemon cake? If you do, let me know in the comments!

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