I love it when I go into the kitchen and let the flavor story drive the recipe! That’s how this Lemon Pistachio (and Cardamom) Coffee Cake came into my life and made it all the sweeter.
This lemon pistachio coffee cake recipe truly was the result of pure inspiration. It came about when my son was craving cardamom buns (like the ones he loves in Sweden), but I was on a tropical fruit kick, busy making and enjoying these Chia Pudding Passion Parfaits.
So I combined three of my favorite flavors: lemon, cardamom, and pistachio and this came out with a jaw-dropping-oh-my-goodness-mind-blowing-result!
What Makes This So Darn Good?
For so many reasons, and ones I thought were maybe going to compete with each other, but instead found a perfect harmony.
In addition to the amazing flavor combination, I think the real treat is the combination of textures. I love the way the two different icings glaze the top, working with the topping that made a lovely crust and inviting all the chopped-up pistachios to nestle in and find their homes.
Sweet and sour citrus notes get me every time, but this seriously is hitting the balance just right. In fact, just to push the palette boundaries, I made a second glaze that I used very sparingly, which completely blew my mind. While the first glaze is neutral, the second glaze has zest from both a lemon and a tangerine. I swear, that little touch makes this feel and taste like it was meant for the gods, goddesses, and royals in the Mediterranean!
I don’t think I can say this enough, each bite is a deliriously delicious bite of bright and light flavors. That said, I think what takes the flavor story to the next level is the use of lemon yogurt and buttermilk. It is the perfect pair of accents to brighten the lemon flavor and moisten the crumb.
The one ingredient I was unsure about adding, but am so glad I did is the ground-up freeze-dried corn. I first learned about this delightful addition to my favorite baked goods when I took Christina Tosi’s Creative Baking class on Monthly. She used it in her Milk Bar Pie and I’ve been on the hunt to use it in more of my own baked goods. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s worth it, trust me when I say, it’s well worth it!
Last but far from least significant, the super-secret trick that makes this superb is the subtle use of cardamom with nutmeg. Together they complement each other so beautifully, creating an overall aroma and taste that transports me to a place of sheer bliss.
Seriously, Why Is This Coffee Cake CRUMB So Dang Amazing?!
If you’re familiar with my recipes and can tell from the name Crunch & Crumb, I’m a sucker for a great flavor story, crunch, and CRUMB!
When you find gluten-free products in stores or bakeries, how many times do you feel like, “Wow, not only does this flavor lack any personality whatsoever, but the texture is all wrong!?#$%” I know that feeling(!). That’s why this recipe really speaks to my heart, because it proves that with a little care and attention, gluten-free food can taste better than regular foods. Satisfaction is a requirement, folks!
This Lemon Pistachio Coffee Cake has it all.
EXCEPT THE GLUTEN!
The key to this sublime texture is the layering of the cake batter, egg mixture, and topping mixture – twice.
Say what?!
- Spread about half of the batter on the bottom of a well-greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
- Pour half (or more) of the egg mixture over the batter.
- Sprinkle an even coat of the topping mixture.
- Repeat.
- After the topping mixture is evenly sprinkled on the top most layer, use a butter knife to swirl and wiggle it into the batter and egg mixtures. Don’t go deeper than the top 2/3 of the cake.
- Pat down any little outstanding bumps that might be sticking out too much to avoid any uneven baking.
AND if that’s not enough, then there’s the additional glazes and nuts on top which makes this undoubtedly exceptional.
Leftovers To Die For.
Ok, this is a great problem to have. When you find that one slice of heaven is just the ticket for you, and you hesitantly, but surely pack up the rest, know that when you revisit this, it’s going to be a whole other experience.
When I first bit into the “next-day” bite, I felt like it was now transformed from a delicate, tender crumb into some kind of dessert bar. Like a lemon bar had a baby with a brioche french toast casserole. Ok, that’s a weird and wild image, but really, there is nothing on this planet that I have ever had that tastes quite so divine! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Gluten-free Lemon Pistachio Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch pan
- Multiple Medium-Sized Mixing Bowls
- Electric Hand Mixer (or Stand Mixer)
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Electric Coffee Grinder (for the freeze-dried corn)
- Butter knife
- Kitchen Scale
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 266 g Bob's Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 54 g Super-Fine Almond Flour
- 10 g Ground Freeze-dried Corn
- 3 g Sea Salt, Fine
- 4 g Baking Powder
- 1.5 g Ground Cardamom
- 1.84 g Ground Nutmeg
Egg Mixture
- 3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 80 g Caster Sugar
Cake Batter
- 170 g Unsalted butter, Room Temperature
- 80 g Caster Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 274 g Buttermilk
- 150 g Lemon Yogurt, I use Noosa's (minus the curd on the bottom)
Topping Mixture
- .3 g Ground Cardamom
- 60 g Bob's Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 125 g Light Brown Sugar
- 1 g Sea Salt
- 15 g Unsalted butter, Room Temperature
Classic Icing
- 130 g Confectioner's Powdered Sugar
- 25 g Water, Boiled
Citrus Icing
- 130 g Confectioner's Powdered Sugar
- 16 g Water, Boiled
- 20 g Lemon Juice
- .88 g Lemon Zest, Approximately 1 Small Lemon
- 1.8 g Tangerine Zest, Approximately 1 Tangerine
Last Topping
- 35 g Lightly Roasted & Salted Pistachios, Chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F / 176 C.
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside.
Dry Ingredients
- Combine the flours, ground up freeze-dried corn, salt, baking powder and spices in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
Cake Batter
- In a large-sized bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it's light colored and fluffy.
- Add the 2 eggs and beat on high until light and airy.
- The batter should trail when you lift up the electric hand mixer.
- Add the yogurt and buttermilk and gradually build up the speed so that you are able to beat on high without making too much of a mess.
Egg Mixture
- In a large-sized bowl, beat the 3 eggs and sugar on high for about 6 minutes to get it as fluffy as possible. Set aside.
Topping Mixture
- Combine all of the ingredients and break any big lumps up with a fork or spoon.
Layer The Mixtures
- Spread about half of the cake batter out on the bottom of the greased pan, and make sure it goes to the edge of the pan.
- Pour a little over half of the egg mixture over the batter so that it is evenly covered, try to avoid it going to the edge of the pan.
- Sprinkle a little less than half of the topping mixture over the the egg mixture and cake batter.
- Spread the rest of the cake batter across the topping mixture.
- Pour the rest of the egg mixture evenly over the cake batter.
- Sprinkle the rest of the topping mixture evenly across the egg mixture and cake batter.
- Use a butter knife to swirl and mix-in the topping into the layers, but staying to the top half of the overall cake.
- Pat down any obvious lumps or bumps so that the top bakes evenly.
Bake The Cake
- Put the cake on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven and altitude.
- Rotate the cake in your oven to ensure even baking after the first 15 minutes.
Signs The Cake Is Done
- The top of the cake should look crisp and golden brown. The cake will start to pull away from the sides of the pan when it's done.
- Use a cake tester in the middle and take the cake out of the oven when it comes out clean.
Icings & Nuts
- In a cup or measuring cup, mix the respective ingredients until well combined and set aside until cake is cooled.
- Chop the nuts up and set aside until the cake is glazed.
Final Preparations
- Let the cake cool for about 8-10 minutes before glazing with the classic and citrus icings.
- When glazing, use a fork or small spoon to splatter the classic icing across the cake. I like to channel my inner Jackson Pollack at this time. It helps to go in one diagonal direction and stay in the same motion when adding the citrus glaze (sparingly) and nuts.
- Slice into 12 pieces and serve while still warm! Pairs well with a strong coffee or black tea.
Nutrition
Hello there!
I’m Ali, the creator of C&C, and I love food.
Unfortunately, not all food loves me back as I’m gluten-intolerant. That is why I’m sharing all of our family’s favorite, go-to recipes as well as the new ones we keep dreaming up, so that you can enjoy gluten-free food as much as we do together!
If you make this recipe, please tag it @crunch_crumb on Instagram so we can all find out how you liked it!