I thought I'd try something new and Gluten Free baking is on the list - more importantly I LOVE Cardamom and so when I saw this recipe from the new york times I figured it would fit the bill. Almond Cake With Cardamom and Pistachio Recipe - NYT Cooking
After reading I made a few changes to the recipe, cutting the cardamon in half, adding vanilla and lemon zest and salt which was entirely missing. I was super skeptical as I mixed it up. The batter was dense and heavy, almost pasty but the end result is awesome. Dense, moist and scented with a taste of Persia.
This was made for a little party we are having today - unfortunately my DH just couldn't wait...
The topping is also a deviation. I chopped up pistachios and dumped them in a little caramelizing honey and then let cool on parchment, salted and then sprinkled on some sesame seeds.
Here's my version of this recipe:
Almond Cake With Cardamom and Pistachio
½ C olive oil, plus additional for pan
7 large eggs, separated
1 C sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp vanilla
zest from 1 lemon
4 ½ C plus 1 tablespoon almond flour
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
Nut crunch topping:
1/3 C honey
1/2 C roughly chopped pistachio nuts
1/4 C sesame seeds
salt
1 to 2 Tbls confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Assembly: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 3 inch high 9-inch round pan.
Nut Crunch: Boil honey in a non-stick skillet about 2 minutes to a golden brown (careful this will burn quickly), then add chopped nuts and stir. Quickly turn out onto parchment paper and spread to cool. While still warm, sprinkle with a little salt and then sesame seeds. Once cooled (just a few minutes) crack/chop apart large pieces.
To decorate, dust with confectioners’ sugar and top with nut crunch..
Serve with berries and cream.
After reading I made a few changes to the recipe, cutting the cardamon in half, adding vanilla and lemon zest and salt which was entirely missing. I was super skeptical as I mixed it up. The batter was dense and heavy, almost pasty but the end result is awesome. Dense, moist and scented with a taste of Persia.
This was made for a little party we are having today - unfortunately my DH just couldn't wait...
The topping is also a deviation. I chopped up pistachios and dumped them in a little caramelizing honey and then let cool on parchment, salted and then sprinkled on some sesame seeds.
Here's my version of this recipe:
Almond Cake With Cardamom and Pistachio
½ C olive oil, plus additional for pan
7 large eggs, separated
1 C sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp vanilla
zest from 1 lemon
4 ½ C plus 1 tablespoon almond flour
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
Nut crunch topping:
1/3 C honey
1/2 C roughly chopped pistachio nuts
1/4 C sesame seeds
salt
1 to 2 Tbls confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Assembly: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 3 inch high 9-inch round pan.
- Separate eggs and beat egg whites till stiff peak forms.
- In a large bowl whisk combine egg yolks, and sugar, extracts and zest.
- Add almond flour, salt and cardamom until combined.
- Gently stir a third of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest until just incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and finish cooling on a rack. At this point you could freeze tightly wrapped cake if desired.
Nut Crunch: Boil honey in a non-stick skillet about 2 minutes to a golden brown (careful this will burn quickly), then add chopped nuts and stir. Quickly turn out onto parchment paper and spread to cool. While still warm, sprinkle with a little salt and then sesame seeds. Once cooled (just a few minutes) crack/chop apart large pieces.
To decorate, dust with confectioners’ sugar and top with nut crunch..
Serve with berries and cream.
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