October 3, 2010 Pistachio cardamom cake
Watching our friend Joel surf as we sat on the beach in California brought back a vivid memory from my teenage years. I was probably about 15 and we were visiting California for a family wedding. I don’t remember if it was a cousin or just a family friend, but I got into a conversation with a boy around my age. 15-year-old me thought I was super cool. I spent my weekend nights in the city of Portland, perusing the stacks at Powell’s Books for hours or drinking coffee at the Pied Cow. So when this boy asked me what there was exactly to do where I was from, I answered confidently that me and my friends drank coffee and went to bookstores.
He practically wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Bookstores…?” he said doubtfully. “Coffee?”
I felt my confidence rapidly dissipate and asked him what it was exactly that he did where he was from.
“I go to the beach.”
The funny part about spending time on the beach is that it’s often paired with books, and occasionally, coffee. Beaches and books are not, in fact, mutually exclusive. Though I think that boy meant that he surfed and rollerbladed and did all that typical California beach activity (he did not seem like much of a reader), I felt a little bit vindicated as I read Heat in the sand last week.
I still drink plenty of coffee and I still love bookstores. And though I’m no longer a 10-minute drive from the superstore that is Powell’s Books, there are plenty of lovely bookstores to be found in Seattle, which is what brings me to the object – and the recipe- of this post.
The bookstore at the University of Washington is one of my favorite bookstores in Seattle. There are a few people who work there that give fantastic recommendations. The bookstore always features interesting books at the front of the store, has a great selection of both books and fun and funky gifts. And as a major bonus, UW faculty, staff and students get a 10% rebate back on almost all purchases in the store. Come every September, I wait impatiently for my rebate money to arrive.
This year I used my rebate money to buy – can you guess? A cookbook. Specifically, David Lebovitz’s Ready for Dessert. This gorgeous tome is chock full of beautiful photos and recipes I am dying to try. The first thing that caught my eye was this pistachio cardamom cake. Anything cardamom and I want to try it. I was happy I made the effort. It’s just lightly sweet and delicately spiced, and a very pretty pale green color. The sugar I sprinkled over the top (forgoing the 2 tablespoons of butter and almonds that the recipe instructs) baked up glossy and crackly, and the cake itself is substantial without being too heavy. I imagine it will taste delicious paired with – what else? a cup of coffee.
RECIPE: Pistachio cardamom cake
Adapted, just slightly, from David Lebovitz’ recipe from Ready for Dessert
3/4 cup of shelled pistachios, unsalted
1/4 cup plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds (I ground them in a spice grinder, the flavor is much stronger this way)
3 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
Pre-heat oven to 350. Prepare the pan: in a 9 inch springform pan, butter the sides and bottom and press a circle of parchment paper, cut to the correct dimensions, in the bottom. Using 1 tablespoon of sugar and holding the pan vertically (over the sink, I recommend) sprinkle the sugar on the sides and shake/rotate the pan until all sides are evenly coated with sugar. Set aside. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulse 1/4 cup flour and pistachios until finely ground. Set aside. Whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Incorporate the eggs, one at a time, until well-mixed. Add the ground cardamom. Fold in the pistachio mixture and the flour mixture, being careful not to overbeat. Scoop batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining tablespoon of sugar over top. Bake at 350 until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
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