Pistachio sponge cake: A trendy twist for your dessert table

Pistachios have recently become very trendy nuts. They appear in many desserts, such as donut fillings, cheesecakes, cookies, and ice cream. I am also a big fan of them. Since I discovered the recipe for pistachio sponge cake, it has become my favourite cake base.

We usually prepare sponge cake without any additions, as its delicate flavour matches any cream or fruits. However, “flavoured” sponge cakes immediately enhance the flavour of a cake or other dessert. We know coffee, poppy seed, and nut sponge cakes. Now pistachio can join them.

Pistachios have made an incredible career in recent years. They are found in every trendy dessert, and we also snack on them. They contain a lot of protein, with a serving (about 28 grams) containing as much as 7 grams. They also have fibre. We usually associate fibre with vegetables, but we can also find it in these nuts. A handful of pistachios contains 2 grams of fibre, which is equivalent to a tomato. This is significant support for the good functioning of the digestive system. And what about fat? Pistachios have a lot of it, but it’s monounsaturated fatty acids. They have a beneficial effect on the heart and circulatory system. Therefore, it is recommended to eat 28 grams daily, ideally of various types of nuts, of course unsalted. Do those in sponge cake count? There’s no hiding that unprocessed nuts have the most nutritional value.

What additions pair best with pistachio sponge cake? You can layer it with cream based on mascarpone and fruits; raspberries and blackberries will go great with it. If you want the dessert to have a strong pistachio flavour, prepare cream with pistachio paste. Creams based on chocolate, including white or cocoa, also pair well with it. From this recipe, the sponge cake comes out high, fluffy, and easy to cut into layers.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unshelled, unsalted pistachios,
• 6 eggs,
• 170 grams of sugar,
• 140 grams of cake flour,
• 28 grams of potato starch,
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Preparation:

1. Grind pistachio nuts into a fine powder, for example using a blender.
2. Sift both flours and baking powder through a sieve.
3. Add the ground pistachios to the flour and mix.
4. Separate egg yolks from whites, and beat the whites with sugar until fluffy.
5. Add the yolks and gently mix.
6. Finally, add the prepared flour mixture and gently mix again.
7. Pour the batter into a pan lined with baking paper.
8. Bake the sponge cake in a preheated oven for about 50 minutes at 175°C, top and bottom heating.