Sicilian Pistachio Cake
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Unsalted butter for pan
- 2⅓cups/11 ounces/300 grams shelled pistachios, preferably Bronte from Sicily, plus more for decorating
- ¾cup/151 grams granulated sugar
- 3tablespoons/30 grams potato starch or 3 tablespoons/24 grams cornstarch
- 1½teaspoons baking powder
- 6large eggs, at room temperature
- 2tablespoons Strega, Galliano or green Chartreuse liqueur
- Confectioners' sugar
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
260 calories; 15 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 82 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 275 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform baking pan, line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment.
- Step 2
Place pistachios in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Process until finely ground, but do not allow to turn into a paste. Transfer pistachios to a bowl, add starch and baking powder and whisk to blend ingredients.
- Step 3
Beat eggs in an electric mixer with a balloon whisk until they start to lighten in color and thicken, a minute or so. Add remaining sugar in 3 portions, beating well after each addition. Beat in liqueur. Continue beating about 6 minutes more until the eggs are very pale in color and as thick as softly whipped cream.
- Step 4
By hand, fold in the pistachio mixture in 3 portions. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn off oven and open oven door. Leave cake for 10 minutes. Turn it 180 degrees and let it sit in open oven another 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack and allow to cool completely. Dust top with sifted confectioners' sugar and decorate, if desired, with whole or coarsely chopped pistachios. Remove sides of pan. Cake is ready to serve. Slices should lift easily off the parchment.
Private Notes
Comments
Ellen: Many liquor stores have Galliano in the 1 oz "airplane size" bottle, cheap & just right sized. My online research returned results recommending Sambucca (anise flavored liquer) as Galliano sub. Galliano does have some anise notes nut is not anise pure so I'm thinking Sambucca might overwhelm this. There is also a pistachio liquer, Verdenoce (@$40), that could be great in this. Or Monin makes a Pistachio syrup (@$7 - like the kind for coffee) alcohol free.
This is a flourless cake that is kosher for Passover. Use potato not cornstarch, unless you don't observe the ban on kitniyot. It's delicious.
Delicious. There's no need to fold in the nut mixture by hand. Just reduce the speed on your mixer as much as possible and use the whisk to incorporate the nut mixture into the egg mixture. Much easier and more thorough. My cake rose perfectly.
Official favorite cake ever. Used California pistachios and subbed out the chartreuse for Genepy. Also added 2 teaspoons of ground cardamon which added a warming depth. Served with creme freche. Heaven.
I love Strega liquor in cocktails but in this cake, it just does not work. The cake itself had a nice crumb and was moist but you lose the pistachio flavor. Even though it’s just 2 tablespoons of Strega, that’s all you taste and it’s not good. My husband and I each ate a slice then tossed the rest in the garbage. Disappointed!
I have used Grand Mariner instead of the Galliano- it is good! I like to beat the egg whites separately and then fold them in...makes for a lighter cake. I have made this is in both a 10" pan and 8" too. My favorite is the 8"-using the 10'" produced a drier cake. Friends and family love this cake. Although I was told by a Sicilian that this is mostly served at Christmas time. We enjoy it year round and serve it with raspberries on the side.