This recipe is from Bronte, a Sicilian town at the foot of mount Etna rich in volcanic soil and where Bronte Pistachio grows. This pistachio variety has the DOP certification and its production is regulated and controlled. It is definitively a valuable ingredient among chefs in Italy and in Europe, not only because of its bright green color (it is called “green gold”) but also because its refined taste. It is also quite expensive as its harvest occurs every two years between late August and early September and is done exclusively by hand.
If you happen to find this exclusive variety try to use it in this cake. Otherwise, any pistachio variety would work amazingly. The recipe is very simple but the results are impressive. It is also very soft and moist and its flavor improves over time.
- 4 ounces pistachio (about 2 ½ cups), grounded
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 5 eggs
- ¼cup flour
- 2 tablespoon bourbon
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven at 350 Fahrenheit.
Oil a round cake pan 10 inches in diameter and 2 inches high.
In a mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to beat the eggs with the sugar until they are light and form a ribbon when the beaters are lifted out. The batter should triple in volume.
Add the vanilla, flour, baking powder and bourbon to the egg mixture and mix again just until incorporated.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the nuts into the egg mixture until fully incorporated.
Using the spatula, fill the cake pan with the batter, gently smoothing its surface. Bake until center feels springy when lightly and quickly touched, about 40 minutes.
Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. To serve, cut into wedges and transfer to individual plates. Dust with powdered sugar, spooning the sugar into a small, fine-meshed sieve and tapping it over each portion.
Maria Teresa's Kitchen 