Description
Pistachio Coffee Cake, a moist, tender crumb cake with earthy pistachios and a warm cardamom streusel. Perfect for slow mornings or afternoon treats.
Ingredients
Scale
- Base Ingredients:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Flavor Boosters & Leavening:
- 1 cup (120g) shelled pistachios, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Crumb Topping:
- 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (56g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- Simple Glaze:
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Cardamom Streusel:: First things first, let’s get that glorious streusel ready. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, and a good pinch of ground cardamom. Now, add your cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. You want some pea-sized bits in there; that’s the magic! Set this aside. Honestly, I once tried to rush this and used slightly soft butter, and it just became a dough, not a crumb. Learn from my oops moment!
- Mix Dry Ingredients for the Cake:: In a large bowl, whisk together your remaining all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure everything is well combined. This step is super important for an even rise, so don’t just dump it all in. I usually use my biggest whisk for this, getting a good arm workout in. This is also where I usually take a moment to appreciate the fragrant blend of dry ingredients before the wet ones come into play.
- Combine Wet Ingredients:: In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Then, beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract. This mixture should look smooth and inviting, a lovely pale yellow. The smell of vanilla and butter starting to combine? That’s pure kitchen bliss, truly.
- Gently Combine and Fold:: Now, it’s time to bring the wet and dry together. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed or by hand just until *barely* combined. Seriously, stop mixing as soon as you don’t see any dry streaks. Overmixing is the enemy of a tender cake! Gently fold in your shelled pistachios. This is where the Pistachio Coffee Cake really starts to take shape, visually.
- Layer and Top Your Pistachio Coffee Cake:: Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan (or line with parchment, my personal preference for easy removal). Spread half of your cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of your cardamom streusel over this layer. Dollop the remaining cake batter over the streusel, then carefully spread it to cover. Top with the remaining streusel, making sure it’s evenly distributed. This layering is what gives us that lovely streusel surprise in the middle!
- Bake and Glaze:: Pop your Pistachio Coffee Cake into a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While it cools slightly, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk/cream, and a splash of vanilla for your glaze. Once the cake is mostly cool (warm is fine, but not hot!), drizzle that gorgeous glaze over the top. The smell of the finished cake, warm from the oven with that sweet glaze, is honestly heavenly. It’s the moment you realize all that effort was so, so worth it!