pistachio and almond cake with yogurt

It's called a cake, but it's really a loaf. This delicious recipe is from the A16 cookbook, one of my favorite restaurants in San Fransisco. We cooked dinner for friends the other night and this was the dessert that my husband requested I make.

Everyone loved it and it's a good one to make ahead, because upon serving, the cake is sliced and reheated in the oven to crisp the edges slightly. So it's warm when serving.... mmmmmmm....

I made some substitutions to the recipe such as using spelt flour instead of "00" flour and using rapadura organic whole cane sugar instead of regular sugar - I noted these substitutions below in parenthesis.


PISTACHIO AND ALMOND CAKE
from A16 Food + Wine (Nate Appleman + Shelley Lindgren)

1 1/3 C unsalted sheled pistachio nuts
1 1/3 C blanched whole almonds
1/2 C plus 2 TB (5 oz) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 C plus 3 TB sugar (I used Rapadura Organic Cane sugar)
3 lemons for zesting
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 C plus 1 TB "00" flour or all purpose flour (I used spelt flour)
1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 C plain whole milk yogurt (I used sheep milk yogurt - or creme friache)
unsalted shelled pistachio nuts

Preheat oven to 300° F.
Butter a 4 x 8 " loaf pan. Then using a sifter or fine-mesh strainer, dust it with flour, tapping out the excess.

In a processor, combine the pistachios and almonds and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.


Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Grate the zest from lemons directly into the bowl.

Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla just until incorporated. On low speed, gradually add the nuts and mix just until incorporated. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stir in t he flour and salt and mix just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, run a paring knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake sides, invert the cake onto a plate, and lift off the pan. At this point the can can be served warm or allowed to cool completely before being sliced and reheated.

To serve reheated, preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut the cake into generous slices and place on a baking sheet. Bake the slices, turning them over once, for about 5 minutes, or until warm and slightly toasted on both sides.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt and a few pistachios. Serve immediately.