Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake
- 1½ cup sugar
- 1¼ cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature, cubed), plus extra for greasing
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup + 4 tbsp shelled pistachios
- 1 cup almond meal
- ¾ cup + 3 tbsp fine semolina
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp lemon zest + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp rosewater
For the Rose Syrup
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup rosewater
- ⅓ cup sugar
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp rosewater
- Pinch of cardamom
Instructions
- Preheat and prep your pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan generously with butter, then line the base with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Grind the pistachios. Add the shelled pistachios and ground cardamom to a food processor. Pulse until you get a fine, coarse meal, stop before it turns into paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the dry ingredients. To the bowl with the ground pistachios, add the almond meal, fine semolina, baking powder, and Himalayan salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture is pale and noticeably fluffy.
- Add the eggs gradually. With the mixer running on low, pour in the beaten eggs a little at a time. Beat well between each addition to avoid the batter splitting. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Mix in the aromatics. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and rosewater. Beat briefly on low until just incorporated, about 15 seconds.
- Fold in the dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the pistachio-semolina mixture and fold it in gently by hand using a spatula. Don’t overmix; stop as soon as no dry streaks remain.
- Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden, pulling slightly from the sides, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil from the 35-minute mark.
- Make the rose syrup. About 10 minutes before the cake is done, combine the lemon juice, rosewater, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is just simmering. Remove from heat.
- Soak the cake with syrup. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, while still in the pan, pour the warm syrup slowly and evenly over the hot cake. It will seem like a lot, that’s fine. Let it absorb completely while the cake cools in the pan, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Mix and add the glaze. Once the cake is fully cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, rosewater, and a pinch of cardamom until smooth. Drizzle over the top and let it set for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Garnish and serve. Top with a handful of finely chopped pistachios and dried or fresh rose petals. Slice and enjoy at room temperature.
Notes
- Rosewater strength varies a lot by brand. Some bottles are very potent, others are mild. Start with 1 tablespoon if you’re using a new brand and taste the batter before adding more.
- Don’t skip the parchment liner, this cake sticks. Grease the sides well and always line the base.
- Pulse, don’t blend the pistachios. You want a coarse, slightly sandy texture. Over-processing turns them oily and the texture of the cake suffers.
- The batter is thick, that’s normal. Don’t worry if it looks denser than a typical cake batter; the eggs and butter loosen it in the oven.
- Let the syrup soak fully before turning out the cake. Moving it too soon can cause it to crumble.
- For scaling up, this recipe doubles well. Use a larger pan (12-inch) and add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
- No springform pan? A regular 9-inch round works perfectly. Just run a butter knife around the edge before turning it out.
- Prep Time: 20 minute
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg