Friday, July 6, 2012

Lemon~Pistachio Tea Cake

Sunshine brings out a different baker in me and we're finally had having our share here in the Pacific Northwest!  I reached for some lemons and thought about what I could make; my favorite pairing with lemons is pistachios and I really enjoy tea cakes, so I had a plan..."A."

This cake not only incorporates pistachio nuts, but also, paste.  I had bought a can of Pistachio Paste a while back and had just enough to give the right texture to the cake.  I found it online and it's added so much flavor to not only this cake, but cookies I've made as well.
 I can't believe it's Friday already--just about two weeks before the grands arrive.  Just in time for the nice weather:-D!

Pistachio~Lemon Tea Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup Pistachio paste
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
1 cup Queen Guinevere Cake Flour (or pastry flour)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pistachios (optional) 

Lemon Glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
juice of one lemon
1 T light Karo syrup

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 10-cup bundt pan, a large loaf pan*, or mini bundt pan with a baking spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the pistachio paste, extract and zest and beat again.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sift the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture.  Stir in the nuts, if using.
Now, here's where I went wrong!  I used a 9" x 5" loaf pan and this batter came up to almost three-quarters to the top.  I held my breath that it wasn't going to run over and it didn't, but it took longer to bake than I had anticipated and I had to lower the temperature to 325F-degrees after 30 minutes because the edges were browning too quickly.  I suggest a 10-cup bundt pan or even the mini bundt cakes.  The cake in this loaf pan took 60 minutes to bake when I was originally thinking 45 to 55 minutes!

To rectify the problem of the dark edges, I inverted the pan on a parchment-lined rack and with a sharp, serrated knife, removed them. (BTW, they were yummy to eat!!)

I liked the looks of this "squared-off" loaf, so I left it bottom-side up to add the glaze to.  Mix up the ingredients for the glaze and after the cake has cooled slightly, pour over the top.  Use an off-set spatula to make sure the sides get covered.
As a final touch, I sprinkled additional nuts on top to show what the cake has in it.
The finished tea cake looks pretty and no one has to know about "Plan B."  My mother always said, "there are no failures in baking, just good first tries!"  And, besides, this cake tastes great and is perfect for an afternoon tea on the porch, maybe doing a little knitting and enjoying the Sun!
My husband couldn't resist and didn't wait for afternoon tea!  Enjoy!!



17 comments:

  1. That looks perfect for afternoon tea. I baked the bread made with left over porridge, today. It is so good, possibly the nicest loaf I have ever baked. I also made a batch of scones to your Great Grandmother's recipe - they came out looking and tasting superb! Thank you, Susan.x

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    1. Sweet friend, you've done some baking today! The recipe for Irish Oats Bread really is a Plan A! And Grandma Carrie's scones are my tried and true "go to's" for a morning treat. I bet your guys really enjoyed the outcome:-D Happy Baking, Love you, XOXO

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  2. Real baking, I LOVE it! I always hope for plan A but am always glad when plan B tastes great. :) Beautiful tea cake that my own dad would love as pistachios are his all time favorite. Enjoy the sun, my friend! Hugs!!

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    1. I've had to do a lot of Plan B's, but this time I really wanted to show that I'm not a perfect baker--something Martha Stewart would never admit to:-D At least my recipes are original...oops, am I being too catty, meow!
      I will enjoy this beautiful weather; it doesn't come around that often. Love you, Me

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  3. So glad to hear you are getting your sunshine Susan! We have a little too much of that here in Va! Your plan B looks delicious my friend! I'm adding another ingredient to my list of never tried items to my shopping list. xoxo ♥
    Martha Ellen

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    1. The texture turns out remarkable in both the tea cake and the spritz so I do recommend it. I like it better than almond paste, but admittedly, it has it's place in my pantry as well.
      Stay cool--I'll send good thoughts for the oppressive weather to pass quickly...without thunderstorms:-) XOXO

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  4. You are amazing. Where do you find all of the recipes! You make them look so good and so easy. I can't wait to try this. Always a pleasure to wander through your posts.

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    1. Bonnie, The recipes are my own creation--a combination of a science (and pastry) background and watching my mother "throw" together ingredients:-D That's the reason for "Plan B" for this one today...but the cake itself is delicious.
      I love wandering through your post too; it's, as my grandson son says, "So cool" to see your gardens, what you're up to in the kitchen, and just learn about living in the midwest. XOXO

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  5. This looks amazing, will have to source some pistachio paste :) x

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    1. Hi Rose, if you "click" on Pistachio Paste at the top, I give you the source I use, which is Nuts.com. They have everything! Even, pistachio flour, which I've used a lot of times in place of some of the all-purpose in recipes. Thank you for stopping by, XOXO

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  6. So glad you have some sunshine Susan. We have some too today, which is a blessing as we have to pack up the car ready for our holiday. The cake looks delicious - nothing wrong with a Plan B!

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    1. Dearest friend, have a wonderful holiday and when you get home, the Sunflower apron will be on its way! XOXO

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  7. a cup of tea and lemon tea cake....what more could one ask for.
    stamping sue
    http://stampingsueinconnecticut.blogspot.com/

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    1. It was a perfect day! and we have more sun today--hurray!! Stay cool where you're at; I hear you're going to hit triple digits again...at least with the heat index:-( XOXO

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  8. Beautiful loaf! It looks great with those squared edges!

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  9. This looks and sounds luscious!

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