Flourless Pistachio Cake With Strawberry Meringue Recipes

FLOURLESS PISTACHIO CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY MERINGUE

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly brush a 9-inch springform pan with oil and line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Brush parchment with oil and set pan aside.
• In a food processor, pulse pistachios with 1/4 cup sugar until finely ground (avoid overgrinding); set aside.
• In two large bowls, separate the 6 eggs into yolks and whites, reserving the sixth egg white for another use. Add 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, salt, and cardamom to bowl with egg yolks and beat using an electric mixer until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Set egg yolk mixture aside and thoroughly clean and dry the beaters.
• Add a pinch of salt to the bowl with the egg whites and beat using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Add half of the whipped egg whites and all of the ground pistachios to the egg yolk mixture and fold until combined. Add the remaining egg whites and fold until batter is just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until beginning to brown and just barely set, 20-25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the meringue topping:
• In a food processor, process the strawberries into a fine powder. Set aside 1 Tbsp. of the powder for decorating the cake, and pour the remaining powder into a medium bowl. Whisk in the almond flour and the potato starch.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat 5 egg whites and vinegar until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in the sugar and continue to whip until meringue is stiff and glossy and all the sugar has dissolved, 7-8 minutes. Gently fold almond mixture into meringue until just combined.
• Remove cake from oven. Using an offset spatula or table knife, spread meringue mixture evenly over hot cake, starting from the outside and working your way into the center. Return cake to oven and bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp, 25-30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool, and immediately run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Release and remove the side of the springform pan. Let cake cool at least 30 minutes before decorating.
• Decorate the cake:
• Place the reserved strawberry powder in a fine-mesh sieve and dust over cake as desired.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made up to one day before serving: cool to room temperature, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature.

PISTACHIO POUNDCAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan.
• Grind the pistachios in a food processor just until they resemble coarse meal. Be careful to not grind them into pistachio butter. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and pulse until combined.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, then, with the mixer still running, slowly stream in the sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Occasionally stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.
• With the mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture, then the milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Finish mixing the batter by hand with a rubber spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then remove the cake to a rack to cool completely.
• Prepare the strawberries: Combine sugar, lavender and vanilla seeds in a mortar and grind with a pestle until the lavender is broken up into fine bits and the sugar is fragrant.
• Hull the strawberries and slice in half if they are small, or in quarters if they are larger. Combine the sliced berries and sugar mixture in a bowl and stir gently. Let macerate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
• To serve, slice the cooled cake into thick pieces and top each slice with a generous spoonful of berries and their juices. Top with whipped cream. Extra cake keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.

STRAWBERRY & PISTACHIO OLIVE OIL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base of a 23cm cake tin. Put 200g of the pistachios in a blender, and whizz until it looks like ground almonds.
• Whisk the sugar and eggs together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy - this should take about 5 mins. Add the olive oil, continually whisking, then fold in the ground pistachios, cornmeal or polenta and baking powder with a pinch of salt. Fold in the strawberries, then scrape into the tin. Roughly chop the remaining pistachios and scatter over the top.
• Bake for 50-55 mins until golden and risen. Leave to cool in the tin to room temperature before transferring to a cake stand or plate. Dust with icing sugar and serve with crème fraîche or yogurt and extra strawberries.

FLOURLESS PISTACHIO AND ALMOND CAKE (GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C Grease and line a 24 cm round cake tin.
• Place 200g pistachios in a blender and pulse until a fine crumb forms. Add the blended pistachios, almond meal, nutmeg, sugars and butter to a large bowl. Rub the mixture together with your fingertips to incorporate.
• Press half the mixture into the base of the lined tin.
• Add to the remaining mixture in the bowl - the eggs, yolk and yoghurt. Mix to combine.
• Add the 2nd layer of cake mixture to the tin and press inches.
• Scatter the cake with the remaining pistachios.
• Bake for 35 minutes, until golden, then cool on a wire rack.
• Serve with honey and extra yoghurt.