It’s been a while since I’ve shared one of my basic recipes. It is made from only a few ingredients, and obviously, you can change the type of nuts you use. I like pistachios and I think they are luxurious, this is why they are my favourite when it comes to this sort of cake. The sponge is light and it can be soaked with a few spoons of syrup or, depending on the cake you are making and for the ones that will enjoy it, something alcoholic like Kirsch or Homemade sour cherry liqueur.

Ingredients for Pistachio joconde sponge of 20cm in diametre:

– 4 eggs
– 25g butter, melted
– 75g sugar
– 75g flour
– 50g pistachios

Start by heating the oven at 180C or 160C for fan assisted ovens.

While the oven is getting ready, make the sponge batter. In a bowl whisk the egg whites, add half of the sugar and continue to whisk until they form firm peaks. In a bigger bowl, mix the yolks with the rest of the sugar until pale and fluffy. Now add the flour, grounded pistachios, and the butter, and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Pour the cake batter in an oiled baking tray. To make sure you can remove the sponge easy from the tray, cut a round sheet of baking paper and put it on the bottom of the tray. I always have a few already cut in a zip bag in my cupboard, as it saves me time when I’m baking.

Put the sponge in the oven and let it bake for 35 to 40 min. I usually leave mine for 40 minutes in the oven to bake.

When the sponge is baked, take it out of the oven, leave to cool for a couple of minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack and let it cool completely before cutting it. It will be easier to cut if the sponge is cold.

Do you like making joconde? Have you ever made a pistachio joconde sponge before?