Clean recipe · cooking.nytimes.com

Pistachio-Cardamom Cake

This easy, buttery pistachio cake, topped with crunchy caramelized almonds, was a staple at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., when the pastry chef and cookbook author David Lebovitz cooked there in the 1990s. It is not a mild-mannered tea cake, but packs a punch of flavor, texture and perfume, especially from the cardamom seeds that permeate the batter (see Tip). Its robust character makes the cake a great pedestal for an intense, fruity topping such as citrus, rhubarb or apricot compote (see Tip), but it is also great served solo. Julia Moskin

Original recipe: cooking.nytimes.com

Yield:: 1 servings
Prep:: 15 min
Cook:: 1 hr
Total:: 1 hr 15 min

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ cup/60 grams sliced almonds
¾ cup/95 grams shelled unsalted pistachios
1 cup/145 grams all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, from about 2 tablespoons cardamom pods (see Tip)
½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup/200 grams sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make the topping: Put the 2 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch round cake pan (not a springform pan). Set the pan directly on the stovetop over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly. Sprinkle the 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over the melted butter, then add the almonds, tilting and shaking the pan to distribute them evenly. Set the pan aside. (If using an electric or induction stove that a cake pan won’t work on, you can also prepare the topping in a saucepan and scrape it into the cake pan.)
Make the cake: In a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulverize the pistachios with ¼ cup/35 grams of the flour until they’re as finely ground as possible. Transfer to a small bowl.
Crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle or seal them in a sturdy plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Add the crushed seeds to the pistachio mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer or by hand), beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until completely incorporated.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¾ cup/110 grams flour with the baking powder and salt, and stir it into the butter-egg mixture. Stir in the pistachio mixture just until combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan by dropping four or five mounds on top of the almonds. Carefully spread the batter into an even layer, trying not to disturb the almonds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool completely. (The cake will keep, well wrapped and stored at room temperature, for up to 4 days.)