Pistachio Olive Oil Cakes with Fresh Figs
3 Loaf Cakes (or 1 Loaf and 24 Muffin-Size Cakes)
2 cups pistachios (finely ground)
3 cups granulated sugar
Zest of 2 lemons
1 ½ cups high quality olive oil
6 eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla paste
2 tsp rose water (optional)
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
8-9 fresh figs
Confectioner’s sugar for final dusting
1) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and spray your loaf pans with non-stick spray and line with parchment (or fill two muffin pans with liners and prep one loaf pan).
2) To grind your pistachios, add ½ cup at a time to a food processor and process to a fine grind. You want to keep the amounts small so that it doesn’t turn into paste.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4) In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the sugar and lemon zest until fully mixed and aromatic. Add the eggs and olive oil and mix until fluffy – about 1 minute. Switch to the paddle and mix in the buttermilk, vanilla paste, rose water, vanilla and the ground pistachios.
5) Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the dry mixture until fully incorporated.
6) Divide the batter between the three loaf pans, or fill up the muffin liners ¾ full.
7) Bake the loaves for 40-50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. If baking in muffin tins, reduce the baking time to 18-20 minutes just until the top is golden and firm to the touch.
8) Let the cakes cool five minutes. Slice the figs into ¼” slices and lay one slice on each mini-cake or divide between the top of the three loaves.
9) Sprinkle the top with confectioner’s sugar.
