pat's Recipe

Pistachio Pound Cake with Drippy Icing

Category: Cakes

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup salted shelled pistachios, ground to a paste in a food processor
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coarse salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped salted pistachios
Drippy Icing
1 1/2 cups unsalted pistachio slivers

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment; spray parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and pistachio paste until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Gradually add sugar; beat until smooth. Scrape down side of bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt; beat until just combined. Fold in chopped pistachios.
Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 20 minutes. Unmold, and remove parchment. Let cool. Cakes can be wrapped well in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Drizzle cakes with icing, and sprinkle with pistachio slivers.
Serves 10 to 12.

Drippy Icing
Makes about 1 1/3 cups, enough for two pound cakes

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Pour through a sieve into another bowl. Use immediately.