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!!