Pistachio Cake with Chilled Rose Syrup
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When I began ‘Baking and Books’ last September I had no idea that this site would influence my palate, but the truth is that writing about food has introduced me to many novel aspects of the food world. Blogging about what I eat has inspired me to seek out new dishes and flavor combinations - all in the hopes of creating something interesting to post - and in that sense I’m fortunate to have a husband who shares my taste for culinary exploration. (The nerd in me can’t help put point out the Star Trek “new worlds and civilizations” reference, and yes I do think food can introduce us to new civilizations… worlds too if they had cookbooks.) Recently we’ve been experimenting with everything from stinky cheeses to spiced oils, and in the process we’ve discovered a number of uncommonly good meals, such as pumpkin seed pesto and Epoisses Bourgogne. For the most part we’ve both enjoyed each new flavor, but there have been exceptions. No matter what I pair it with my husband cannot comprehend my recently acquired adoration of sauerkraut (the lacto-fermented version of which is, incidentally, good for digestion). Nor does he understand the supreme satisfaction I derive from eating dried carob pods. I learned about this snack option while at the Cleanse with Hale who brought a large bundle of them from Turkey, and since then I have sought out these crunchy, mildly sweet delectables at every occasion. In Israel, where carob trees are abundant, hikers often harvest pods that have fallen to the ground, but since carob trees aren’t an everyday sight in New York (or Connecticut) my initial strategy was calling specialty food stores, where I’d ask befuddled clerks if they happened to have dried carob pods on hand. “I like to munch on them, you see.”
However, there is one aspect of our food exploration that we are in complete agreement on: nuts. Now this may surprise you, but until a few months ago I disliked most kinds of nuts, and to this day I don’t like peanut butter. But then I began to cook with pine nuts, and then almonds, and then hazelnuts. And oh yes, macadamias. A few weeks ago we added pistachios to our repertoire, making pistachio ice cream (a childhood favorite, I didn’t realize I was eating nuts), green biscotti, and lace cookies that looked like delicate leaves sprinkled with sugar. These forays into the world of pistachio were both tasty and culturally enriching, the latter because, at some point - I think while the ice cream was churning - I decided to begin researching the history of said nut. What started as a distraction from thoughts about spooning half-churned ice cream from the machine ended two hours later with the knowledge that pistachios are a member of the Cashew family, which also includes sumac, mango and poison ivy (a random fact I found immensely fascinating, for some reason). I also uncovered the banquet preferences of Mogul Emperor Akbar the Great, who instructed his cooks to feed chickens destined for the feast table nothing but pistachio nuts 8 weeks before the event. Akbar believed that ingesting the nuts would improve the flavor of the meat, and as emperor only the most delicious birds would do for his dinner guests. Another intriguing side-note: Pistachio trees grew in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which King Nebuchadnezzar II built for his wife when she was lonely and longing for the lush landscape of her homeland.
In addition to the goodies mentioned above, our exploration of the pistachio included the cake you see in this post. In my opinion it looks like it’s encrusted with jewels, the vibrant green and purple of the pistachio nuts infused into the fluffy cake, then studded along the surface. Color is one of the most important qualities of good food, transforming an ordinary dish into a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth, and this cake certainly satisfies in that regard. Once we’d sliced into it, removed our wedges, then soaked them with chilled rose syrup, both my husband and I simply sat and looked at the slices for a few moments, absorbing the color, and inhaling the fragrance of warm pistachios and roses. The cake itself is made without flour, which is unusual unless you remember that Passover cakes are also made without it. Indeed, like many passover cakes, nut flour and eggs provide the support necessary to give the cake its texture.
For the time being our revels with pistachios are at an end, my attention having been drawn to the art of baking with tea. Nevertheless I’m sure I’ll revisit the matter of pistachios soon. Afterall, we haven’t even begun to explore the realm savory pistachio dishes!
Pistachio Cake with Chilled Rose Syrup
Reprinted with permission from Arabesque, by Claudia Roden
Ingredients: Makes 1 cake (Serves 10 to 12)
-
For the syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons rose water
-
For the cake:
- 5 eggs, separated (Make sure there isn’t even one drop of yolk in the whites or the whites won’t stiffen into peaks later. To be on the safe side use 3 bowls: one to separate the eggs over, one for the yolks, and one for the whites.)
- 1 cup superfine sugar (I used confectioners sugar)
- 1 1/2 cups pistachios, ground finely
- 1/3 cup pistachios, chopped very coarsely
- To serve: 3/4 cup clotted or heavy cream (optional)
Make the syrup first. Bring the sugar, water and lemon juice to the boiling point and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, whisking gently throughout. Remove from heat and stir in the rose water. Let the syrup cool, then chill it in the refrigerator.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
With a hand held mixer or a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a pale cream, then add the ground pistachios and mix well. With a clean whisking attachment and in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. (Pull the whisk attachment out of the whites and invert it - if there are stiff peaks on the end of the attachment the whites are ready. Be careful not to beat them beyond this point.) Gently fold the whites into the cake batter. Pour into a greased and floured nonstick cake tin 9 to 10 inches in diameter and sprinkle the coarsely chopped pistachios on top. Bake for 45 minutes.
Turn the cake out into a deep serving dish. Make little holes over the top with a fork and pour over the syrup. The holes will let the syrup soak in quickly.
Serve, if you like, with clotted or heavy cream.
* A couple notes, in case you decide to recreate this recipe in your own kitchen: In my experience, this cake is best served the day it is made. We enjoyed our slices a couple hours after the cake emerged from the oven, but by the next day the flavor had diminished and the spongy texture had acquired a somewhat gummy feeling. My advice would be to serve this cake at a tea party, or when friends are visiting, so that most of it can be eaten the day of and what isn’t consumed can be sent home for snacks later that night. Also, the flavor of pistachio and rose are quite pronounced, which is a wondrous thing if you ask me, but may take getting used to if you haven’t eaten floral flavored cakes before.
The rose syrup soaks into the top and side of the slice.
Book Review: “Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon” shares a delightful collection of recipes, each of which makes you feel as if you are experiencing a vibrant part of another culture. From Talas Boregi, which takes you into the kitchens of Turkey, to Moroccan Briwat Bi Tamr (Dates Rolls in Honey Syrup), spending time with this book is akin to taking a culinary trip around the Middle East. Each chapter includes an introduction to the cuisine & history of the part of the world it seeks to represent. It is in sections like these that we learn, for example, about Lebanon’s history as a feudal state and how interactions between Sunni Muslim, Greek Orthodox and Ottoman culture influenced the cooking we recognize as Lebanese today. Such socio-historical tidbits are sprinkled throughout the book, while chapters are organized into sections about “starters & meze,” “main courses,” and “desserts.” Many recipes are accompanied by mouth-watering color photographs, so that this well-bound, artistically presented book would make a lovely coffee table book when you’re not using it in the kitchen. Most of the dishes I tried were truly delicious, opening my eyes to new spice combinations and flavors. It was not until this book, for instance, that I would have thought to add cinnamon, pine nuts and currants to a meat dish (vegetarian meat dish in our kitchen, but the principle is the same), nor would I have thought to add pomegranate molasses and cumin to a salad. On one or two occasions I wasn’t thrilled by the final result, but one cannot expect to fall in love with every recipe in a cookbook, especially one that is composed of meals so dissimilar from what you eat on an everyday basis. Recipes do assume that you have a firm grasp of basic cooking principles but at no point is this a hindrance. With internet access just a step away it is an easy thing, after all, to verify what “stiff egg whites” look like (Alton Brown did an entire show about this) or what greek-style yogurt is. Overall this book is a worthy addition to any collection - if you buy it and want my advice, make the Briwat Bi Loz (Almond Pastries in Honey Syrup) first. Not only are they easy to make, but the combination of crispy fillo, crunchy almonds and sweet syrup is hard to resist. Variations with confectioners sugar & orange blossom water are included for even more delightful exploration of this Moroccan dessert.
- Cardamom Rose Rice Pudding
- Mexican Vanilla Mini-Muffins with Vanilla Syrup
- Hazelnut Raspberry Cake
- Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake
- Rustic Sage Cake with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
46 Responses to “Pistachio Cake with Chilled Rose Syrup”
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The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride By Daniel James Brown
It's not often that a history book will compel me to set all my novels aside, but "The Indifferent Stars Above" certainly did. Within the first few pages I was spellbound. I had to know how Sarah, a young woman newly married to her childhood sweetheart, would end up on top of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the dead of winter, starving and forced to do unspeakable things in order to survive.
"The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride" tells the story of the Donner Party from the perspective of newlyweds Sarah Graves and Jay Fosdick. In April of 1846 the couple joined Sarah's family as they journeyed west from Illinois to the promised land of California. (Read the rest of this review...)
Ari, this is gorgoeus.
Presses all the right buttons for me too.
Love Roden - she’s such an inspiration.
OMG, I am obsessed with the combination of pistachio and rose! Well, and cardamom too…
This cake looks amazing.
this cake sound wonderful and I have this book on my wish list
Hi Ari,
Love the photos! Since I love pistachio I’m sure to love this cake.
Mmm…looks delicious. I love Claudia Roden!
Ahh…carob pods in Israel. So fun! Have you been listening to Galgalatz online? I’m listening to it as I write this.
The pistachio cake looks delicious!
Thank you for your review of Arabesque. I’ve heard about this book and was debating about whether to buy it…now I’ll have to give it a second look!
I love pistachios and this is such and awesome cake. I love the combination with the rose syrup. Very nice!
I love pistachios and they are often combined with rose water in Persian cooking, so this sounds like a great recipe. I really need to go get myself a bottle of rose syrup (that is not used in Persian cooking, only rose water).
What a delicious cake, Ari! I love the flavors!
This could be my favorite recipe you’ve ever posted. I simply adore pistachios, and I have to try this cake. The chilled rose syrup sounds intriguing!
That cake looks gorgeous.I love Pistachio,I made Indian Pista Kulfi yesterday!Love the color.
That cake looks like poetry! It must taste ever so wonderful…
I’d love to own some of Claudia Roden’s book. Thanks for the review!
Cheers,
Rosa
Ari- what an interesting combination…if I could bake, I’d be heading in the kitchen right now….but since I’m not as talented…(sniff) I’ll just stare wistfully at my screen
Oooooooooh, talk about gorgeous! This is one heckuva cake!
Oh, yum. I love sweets with nuts! Being down South we eat a lot of pecans, of course, but almonds and macadamias are tops with me. And I agree that the top of your cake is bejeweled-looking! Fab.
Hi Ari! This looks so moist and delicious - a real treasure!
I’m glad you feel your blog has expanded your palate - I find mine has the same effect on me!
Hi!
Beautiful post. I loved all that in depth information about pistachios. They are delicious. I’m also not a big fan of peanut butter but I’m learning to add peanuts into some Thai dishes and I can understand how those flavour combinations work.
I love this recipe as its not with flour. One of my friends that is coming to visit in a few weeks has Celiac, so I always try to make a dinner menu without starch, this is a great recipe I will keep in mind. Thanks
I loved this cake based simply on its description. When I saw that it is from Claudia Roden’s book, I knew it had to be amazing. I love her recipes. I don’t have Arabesque yet b/c I’m still thoroughly obsessed with the New Book of Middle Eastern Food which could take years to work through. Thanks for giving the recipe.
Julie
I loved pistachio ice cream as a kid just for the color, I didn’t realize what the nuts were either so you’re certainly right that color of food makes a huge difference. The colors in this cake just look comforting and I can practically smell the yummy combination through my screen!
My mom adores pistachios and anything with rose water so this is absolutely perfect for me to make for her when I’m back home
I have this book also — and unlike any of Claudia Roden’s other books, I’ve found this one better to read than to cook from. It’s a wonderful reference, as are all of her books, but the few recipes I’ve tried have not quite hit the mark for me. I’ll keep going, though, because it’s Claudia Roden, and I always learn something when I cook from her books.
Beautiful book cover. I have several Claudia Roden books.
It sounds decadent!
Sounds like a great combo. Beautiful shots! Surprsig it dries out gieven the gg whites and syrup, but pistachios have a tendency to take moisture away from the ingredients they are baked with.
I love the sounds of the combination — pistachio and rose. Awesome! Keep seeking out new dishes and flavors, and sharing them with us.
Paz
Ari…as u wrote, pistachios are like green jewels only
I love them in all my biscottis …especially the pistachio and cranberry combo 
Cake looks like a real treat !!!
Shn
oh, i have been pining over this cookbook! i am so glad to see something so wonderful from it {now, i’ll just have to get it} pistachios and rose water are a classic combination. oh yum
Ari,
This cake is absolutely glorious!
i love nuts too, especially pistachios. they always look so pretty in pictures with the vibrant green. this cake look delicious, i’d love a slice with a big glass of milk right now!! carob pods, i’ve never seen them before, off to google them….
Thank you Ari for your kind words of encouragement regarding my move away from San Francisco! Also, thank you (as always) for the gorgeous feast for my eyes! I agree with you, I am surprised at how much color the pistachios lend to the cake. The cake looks very dense, and very decedent (but also healthy because of the rose syrup and pistachios)! Nuts (and flowers) make everything healthy by default! And Arabesque sounds like a great cookbook I’d be interested in checking out.
Wow, this is a truly informative post. And everything sounds so good!… I’ve never tried carobs, never tasted floral-flavored cakes… So much to try! So much to eat! How could we ever get bored with food.
Er, there’s supposed to be a question mark there at the end and that’s supposed to be a wink. Is that a wink? Hahaha.
OMG a pistachio cake! You are my so my hero… Another dish besides biscotti to bribe the hubby with.
What a wonderfully unique dessert. I can see serving this with a chilled soup and a salad for a lovely summer brunch. Delicious.
Cheers!
Just read a great article about you on Culinate! Congratulations!
I have a bottle of rose water that I don’t know what to do with! Now I know!
Hi Ari,
I just read your interview on Culinate.com Congratulations. Some of my favorite stories are highlighted.
Namely, the Hot sauce incident.
Ari,
Boy does this cake look good! Unfortunately my sweet tooth and my desire/motivation to bake 100% went out the window when I got pregnant.
Anyway, I nominated you for Rockin’ Girl Blogger, cause, well… you rock!
Molly
God do I love Pistachios in pretty much anything. Pistachio ice cream is a guilty pleasure of mine!
Your cake does look bejeweled! So pretty! And it sounds delicious! I really enjoy Middle Eastern food so I’ll be keeping this book in mind…thanks for the review
Hi Ari! I tend to buy almonds, walnuts, pecans, and cashews. Somehow pistachios have never made their way into my shopping cart. Last week I kept looking at the pistachios. I think I even picked them up. Maybe I should buy some and make this cake! It looks so good!
Your cake looks and sounds so incredibly good, Ari! Although I am not a big flowery tasting fan, I would make this cake in a heartbeat (I love pistachios!) and maybe substitute a lemon syrup in lieu of the rose? Ohhh you’ve got me thinking of possibilities now.
Another lovely post that I really enjoyed reading, thank you!
xoxo
That looks divine, Ari. I’ve never cooked with flower water — how inspiring!
I agree that blogging is an endless source of inspiration to try new foods. But, I have to say that I’ve been a nut lover since childhood. You really don’t like peanut butter? I’ve never met a nut I didn’t love. And I’d love a piece of your luscious, moist, nutty cake right now too!
Well, I love cakes made with almond meal so I bet this is just as tasty!
Boy was I bad about responding to comments in this post! Sorry everyone, I promise to do better from now on!
You indeed found something interesting to post. This looks so moist and delicious!