Equipment
Ingredients
Pistachio Pound Cake
- 130 g shelled pistachios, raw and unsalted
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 180 g cake flour, sifted
- 4 g baking powder
- 3 g kosher salt
- 170 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 60 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 1 ml almond extract
Macerated Strawberries
- 300 g fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Whipped Cream
- 240 ml heavy cream, cold
- 20 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 476 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 29 g
- Sodium
- 192 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 120 mg
- Potassium
- 256 mg
- Calcium
- 80 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 27 mg
- Phosphorus
- 148 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 245 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 19 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.30 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 1.6 mg
- Folate
- 56 mcg
- Water
- 65 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 165°C/325°F. Thoroughly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with a parchment paper sling.
In a food processor, combine the pistachios and 50g of the granulated sugar. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Adding sugar prevents the nuts from turning into pistachio butter.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ground pistachio mixture, cake flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and the remaining 150g of granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake at 165°C/325°F for 55 to 65 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before using the parchment sling to carefully lift it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake cools, combine the quartered strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss well and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to draw out the juices.
In a chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
Slice the cooled pistachio pound cake into thick slices. Plate each slice and spoon the macerated strawberries with their syrup generously over the top. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream.
Chef's Notes
- To achieve a brilliantly vibrant green crumb without artificial food coloring, blanch your raw pistachios. Drop them in boiling water for 60 seconds, drain, and pinch them out of their brown skins before drying and grinding.
- A drop of almond extract acts as a flavor enhancer for the pistachios, bringing forward their natural floral and nutty profile without overpowering them.
- Pound cakes rely on the mechanical aeration of butter and sugar. Take your time during the creaming stage to build microscopic air bubbles; this ensures the cake rises properly even with the dense addition of ground nuts.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store the cake and the strawberries in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap the un-topped cake tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil.
Troubleshooting
Pistachios turned into a paste instead of a fine crumb
Cause: Processing the nuts without a dry abrasive or processing for too long causing the natural oils to release.
Fix: Cannot be fully fixed once oiled, but you can try working the paste into the butter during the creaming stage instead of folding it in with the dry ingredients.
Prevention: Always pulse the pistachios with a portion of the recipe's sugar or flour, and use short pulses.
Cake has a dense, gummy layer at the bottom
Cause: The emulsion broke because the butter, eggs, or milk were too cold, or the batter was under-creamed.
Fix: Cannot be fixed after baking. Serve the upper portions if desired.
Prevention: Ensure all wet ingredients are strictly at room temperature before mixing.
Cake browned too quickly but is raw in the center
Cause: Oven temperature runs too hot, causing the sugars and nut oils to brown rapidly.
Fix: Loosely cover the top with aluminum foil and continue baking until the center tests clean.
Prevention: Use an oven thermometer to verify temperature. Tent the pan with foil halfway through baking if it browns too fast.
Cultural Context
The pound cake originated in Northern Europe in the early 1700s, traditionally calling for a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. This modern variation borrows the classic dense, velvety crumb of the original while incorporating Middle Eastern influences through the use of pistachios, creating a dessert that speaks to springtime renewal.
