Strawberry season is around the corner, that means it’s time to take your traditional pound cake recipe to a whole new level. Toss in some chopped pistachios and you have a marriage made in heaven with this perfect spring, summer, and any time of year dessert.
Ingredients
-
225g / 1 cup Mirage Margarine
200g / 1 cup Granulated sugar
290g / 2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
5 ml / 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 g / 1 tsp Baking Powder
0.5 g / ¼ tsp Salt
180 g / 1 cup Pistachios, shelled and chopped
125 ml / ½ cup Sour cream
1 pint Fresh Strawberries
¼ cup Icing sugar
Whipped cream for topping
Directions
- Pre-heat your oven to 325F (160C).
- Cream together the Mirage margarine, sugar and sour cream, until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, and continue creaming until fully combined and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Add in the pistachios and begin folding the mixture together, just until even and you no longer see any flour.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan, lined with parchment. The parchment will help you lift out the loaf when you’re done.
- Bake the loaf in the oven for about 45-60 minutes, or until golden on the outside, and a stick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, begin cleaning and washing the strawberries. Slice the strawberries and add them to a large bowl. Sprinkle on the icing sugar and stir them occasionally, until there is a light pink syrup in the bottom of the bowl.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes. Then slice it into thick or thin pieces. Top with a healthy portion of the juicy strawberries and whipped cream. For a little extra garnish, dust the dessert with a little icing sugar.
Chefs Notes
- If you’re not a fan of pistachios, try using almonds or pecans. Or if you have a nut allergy, just omit them altogether.
- Use the freshest strawberries you can find, this makes the world of difference!