A good snacking cake earns its place not through grandeur, but reliability. It sits patiently on the counter, improves with a day’s rest and can be sliced into at odd hours: with coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon or something stronger during a tense World Cup match. This lemon and pistachio version is especially companionable: tender, bright and just sharp enough to keep things lively.
Lemon pistachio snacking cake
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 8-10
For the cake
220g unsalted butter
2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
200g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
250g caster sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (from 2 large unwaxed lemons)
80ml lemon juice
3 eggs, at room temperature
For the glaze and topping
120g icing sugar, sifted
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
30g shelled pistachios, finely chopped
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and grease and line a 20cm square tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. Put the butter in a small saucepan on a low heat, then, once melted, add the oil and leave to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest with your fingertips, until fragrant and damp - this helps draw out the oils in the zest and intensifies the lemon flavour. Pour in the melted butter mix, whisk until smooth and combined, then add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, until the mixture thickens and turns glossy. Whisk in the lemon juice, then add the dry ingredients, gently stirring and folding with the whisk until the mix is smooth and fully incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the lined tin, smooth the top and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be lightly golden around the edges, with a slightly paler centre. Remove from the oven and put the tin on a rack to cool.
To make the glaze, in a small bowl whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice to a thick but pourable consistency. Spoon this over the top of the cooled cake and spread out into a thin, even layer. Scatter over the pistachios straight away, before the glaze begins to set, then cut into squares to serve.