This recipe is another of my favourites from cookery writer Ursula Ferrigno. I saw her demonstrate this recipe at Books for Cooks in Notting Hill, London, in 1991 and I’ve been using it ever since. Pistachio nuts are quintessentially Italian, but can be substituted with walnuts or hazelnuts.
Pistachio cake
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 250g sugar
- 30ml (2 tbsp) cake or Italian type “00” flour
- 10ml (2 tsp) baking powder
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) salted nuts, finely chopped
- 200g ground almonds
- 300ml fresh cream
- whole pistachio nuts, chopped, for decorating
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 24cm springform cake tin.
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and half of the sugar until thick and creamy.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and nuts then fold into the egg yolk mixture. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar and fold in the almonds.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the egg yolk mixture.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven until well risen, golden and firm to the touch, about 45 minutes. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.
Before serving, whisk the cream until stiff. Either spread it on top of the cake and decorate with the whole pistachio nuts, or dust the cake with icing sugar and serve the fresh cream separately.
ALSO SEE: Baked cheesecake with Bar One topping
Baked cheesecake with Bar One topping
Recipe by Taryne Jakobi
Photograph by Vanessa Lewis
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
