Perfect with a cup of tea, especially a nicely spiced Indian chai.
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/8 teaspoons ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted unsalted pistachios (about 3 ounces)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Sift 2 cups flour, ground cardamom, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla extract. Fold in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 3 additions each. Transfer batter to prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios, then remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.
Bake cake until top begins to crack and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan on rack 30 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Cut cake into wedges and serve.
