September 5, 2006
Cinq-Cinquièmes à la Pistache
[Pistachio Five-Fifths]
Le quatre-quarts ("four fourths") can be described as the French pound cake. It has earned its name because the batter is made with the same weight of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour, thus amounting to a fourth of the cake each: you weigh the eggs first, and measure the rest of the ingredients accordingly. There's baking powder, too, which throws the proportions off by a feather, but thou shallt resist the temptation to nit-pick.
It is a fluffy-crumbed, buttery cake that takes kindly to the company of a cup of tea: late afternoon is the traditional time to serve it, but it won't be out of place for breakfast -- my mornings were consistently fueled by quatre-quart breton for a few of my teenage years -- or dessert, to accessorize a chilled strawberry soup or perhaps a chocolate cream.
The basic quatre-quarts is an easygoing fellow that can be adapted and tweaked to your heart's content. A bit of lemon juice in the batter and a brush of lemon glaze on top is a classic, and quite pleasing, variation, but I decided to make a pistachio version this time, having recently enjoyed a similar bakery-bought cake. I took the equal proportion idea a step further, adding the same weight of pistachios as that of the other ingredients, and this is why I named it a cinq-cinquièmes.
As you will notice on the picture above, I didn't bake the cake in any old pan, but rather took the opportunity to finally use my Baker's Edge pan, which its inventor sent to me a little while ago. It is a sturdy nonstick pan with a maze-like pattern, designed to optimize the crust-to-center ratio. I love the idea -- I am all for optimized ratios -- and I was very pleased with this first use. The shape makes for a more even heat distribution than conventional pans, so the batter bakes faster, which is great if you have an urgent need for fresh-from-the-oven cake -- just remember to shorten the baking time of your recipe. The inside walls make it tricky to unmold the finished cake all in one piece (it was conceived with bars and brownies in mind) but it is a fun, quirky object that looks attractive enough to be used as a serving vessel. Perhaps not when your great-great-aunt comes to tea, but your friends who live in that lightbulb factory loft will no doubt love it.
The company behind the Baker's Edge pan is a three-person operation, founded by one Matthew Griffin. I have exchanged a few emails with him, and he is the sort of passionate, relentless entrepreneur I am happy to support -- a David in an industry of Goliaths. The company has some exciting developments in the works (including having the pan sold at modern art museum gift shops, industrial design and all), and I hope that these will allow the team to quit their proverbial dayjobs. (You can read more about Matt's story here, and buy one of his pans here.)
Cinq-Cinquièmes à la Pistache
- 3 eggs (about 170 grams or 6 ounces, weighed shell-on)
- The same weight as the eggs in salted butter (about 3/4 cup), at room temperature -- add a good pinch of salt if you use unsalted butter
- The same weight as the eggs in sugar (about 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) -- I used unrefined brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- The same weight as the eggs in flour (about 1 1/3 cup)
- The same weight as the eggs in unsalted pistachios (about 1 1/3 cup), toasted and chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 22-centimeter (9-inch) round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper (I used an ungreased Baker's Edge pan).
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process until creamy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
In a medium mixing-bowl, combine the flour, pistachios, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and process until just combined -- the batter will be thick.
Pour the batter into the pan, level the surface with a spatula, and bake for 25 minutes (just 18 for the Baker's Edge pan), until the top of the cake springs back to the touch, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool completely before serving.
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Comments (37)
Permalink | Posted by clotilde in Cakes & Desserts - Recipe Inside!
Wow, the pans are great! I wonder what will we be cooking with in the next 10 years? :)
Posted by gagatka on September 5, 2006 12:06 PMGénial ce Cinq/Cinquième... A la suite d'une visite chez Detou, j'ai pistache et âte de pisatche dont je ne sais que faire! Voilà la solution!!!
Posted by Adèle on September 5, 2006 12:10 PMOdd looking yet stylish pan! well done for reinventing a classic.
Posted by est/ouest on September 5, 2006 12:45 PMI have to admit a Baker's Edge pan is the perfect choice, I wouldn't have thought of it but as usual you thought of everything ;)
David
Posted by David Geere on September 5, 2006 2:28 PMhttp://www.EatingBritain.com
That is quite an interesting pan you are using...I'd like mine with fresh fruit on top :)
Posted by Jeff on September 5, 2006 2:43 PMThe pan is incredible!!!
Posted by K on September 5, 2006 4:29 PMthe pan is way cool....but must be quite a trick to line it with parchment!
Posted by cherie on September 5, 2006 5:28 PMMmmm. This looks delicious. I hope that's a fairly non-stick pan. Ok, I really have to go and eat some breakfast before I try to eat the monitor! Brooke
Posted by Brooke on September 5, 2006 6:10 PMwww.woolwood.blogspot.com
The cake looks amazing! And that pan is very cool, I've seen it at several blogs now. If they come to Sweden, I'd be happy to buy one - inventors? Lookie here! :)
Posted by Anne on September 5, 2006 6:35 PMCherie,
Lining the pan isn't that big a challenge, I think. Just cut strips of parchment to lay like lasagne sheets on the bottom. no need to go twisting and turning along with the pan. Just an idea. =)
I've also just taken to ask the inventors about applying the design to silicone ware. That would ease the "sticking" issue.
Posted by kayenne on September 5, 2006 6:38 PMGagatka - Perhaps a robot-pan in which you just place all the ingredients and it measures, mixes, and bakes them for you?
Adèle - You could definitely add a tablespoon of pistachio paste to the cake, to enhance the flavor.
Cherie, Brooke, and Kayenne - The pan is cast aluminum with a nonstick coating that worked very well: no need to grease or line the pan with parchment paper.
Posted by clotilde on September 5, 2006 6:47 PMVery beautiful ! The pan is amazing !
Posted by Papilles&Pupilles on September 5, 2006 7:09 PMLooks great! I've been wondering about this pan. Thanks for the review.
Posted by Jennifer on September 5, 2006 7:31 PMThat is a very interesting pan, and what a wonderful cake. Yum...it's almost 4 p.m., maybe it's tea time!
Posted by paristriptips on September 5, 2006 9:39 PMCrust holds a similar place in my heart that muffin tops hold in others; nothing is better than a corner brownie. It is for that reason that I'm going to buy one of these this instant!
Posted by Lauren on September 5, 2006 11:26 PMMy mom makes the best traditional, I guess you'd call it, pound cake I've ever eaten. It was my grandmother's recipe.
And the crust is the best part! Gotta get one of those pans. I wonder what my mom would think if I gave her one!
Posted by Abby on September 6, 2006 3:08 AMForget the pan, where does that gorgeous fork come from?!
(The cake looks delicious, by the way.)
Posted by Hannah on September 6, 2006 7:00 AMI saw that your site is mentioned in the Belgian foodie-magazine 'Ambiance'! Congratulations!!
Posted by maarten on September 6, 2006 8:43 AMAmazing pan! I love the concept!
Posted by joey on September 6, 2006 9:28 AMClotilde...I've loved reading this piece from your imagination..especially..
Posted by Joan on September 6, 2006 2:47 PMThat pan is crazy...I want one! Anything that ups that all-important ratio of more crust-to-cake works for me too.
Posted by David L. on September 6, 2006 3:12 PMThat is the most ingenious pan, the best of both worlds, crust and center. I'm going to amazon this second to find one. The cake sounds great too, the pistachios give it a wonderful color.
Posted by Alison on September 6, 2006 5:54 PMOh my gosh, I have to get this pan! What a concept, I love it! Looks delicious!
Posted by Dianka on September 6, 2006 8:55 PMI like the pistachio idea. I have to agree that the pan is really ingenius. A little bit of crust and center in every bite...wonderful!
Posted by Julie on September 6, 2006 9:19 PMWow, I really want to indulge my inner "white trash" self and pack one of those pans full of Rice Krispy treats. They would cut into the perfect sized squares if made in the Baker's Edge.
Posted by Kevin on September 7, 2006 6:23 AMI like the idea of a better crust ratio (I can think of many cakes where the crunchy crust is a must), and a pistachio pound cake sounds delicious, too. Thanks, Clotilde!
Posted by Pille on September 7, 2006 9:57 AMThe pan also looks useful for those of us in higher altitudes, where baked goods sometimes burn on the outside before they're done in the middle. There's less "middle" in this pan. I may have to get one.
I love the cake recipe, too, of course!
Posted by Monica on September 7, 2006 2:43 PMlooks like a mouse's maze pan
Posted by Gustad Mody on September 7, 2006 11:22 PMA conversation piece if I ever saw one. Great review and recipe, Clotilde. Your website is always a joy to read.
Posted by Jennifer on September 8, 2006 5:34 AMI don't understand this pan... How does the cake come out of the pan? With the zig zag pattern how do you serve ot present that cake? Would it be easier to just use 2 loaf pans?
Posted by Roberta on September 8, 2006 1:05 PMI jsut made the cake myself, doubled the recipe to make on to freeze for emergencies. This cake is great! We ate it for dessert, shared with friends and had a but for breakfast with cherry compote. YUM! I believe I will be giving several at Christmastime.
Posted by Michelle on September 13, 2006 2:13 PMThe pan, the pan, the cake, the pan! Good job!
Posted by Francine on September 16, 2006 2:00 AMOh that sounds lovely, i am going to have to make it next time i cater for a charity event.
Posted by James on September 19, 2006 11:37 AMOh, pound cake for breakfast. What a treat. I remember eating a toasted slice covered with ripe peaches as a young girl growing up in the South (U.S.). Heaven on earth.
The pistachio version sounds wonderful. I will try it next.
Posted by Hannah on September 20, 2006 4:48 AMHi, I finally got around to making this at the weekend, and I have to confess to being a little disappointed on taking my first bite fresh.
However, I am now converted. It is now 5 days since I baked it and it is tasting fantastic, obviously one of those cakes that get's better with age :-)
Thanks for the recipe, I shall be making it again I'm sure.
Kate x
Posted by Kate on April 26, 2007 12:51 PMOh, I'm going to have to try this when my pan arrives! The link to Matt's story doesn't work so I found the right one and added it here as my URL.
Posted by Jaime Sue on August 1, 2008 6:36 AMJaime Sue - Thanks for the updated link! I've corrected the post.
Posted by clotilde on August 1, 2008 9:17 AM