A slice of coffee cake topped with pistachio crumble and powdered sugar on a plate.

My daughter and her friend began to make this cake disappear one afternoon, tearing off pieces with their hands, letting the crumbs fall down to where the dog was waiting, eager to take on the role of floor-polisher.

“Whacanacakeshis?”

Although I think my kids should be long past the stage of being wary of nuts in and around their food – they don’t have allergies or anything else to cause worry – they still hesitate before taking a sample of any cake, cookie or other sweet baked thing with clear nut visibility.

A round coffee cake topped with pistachio crumble and powdered sugar on a plate.

Apparently this cake seemed appealing despite that slight defect, because half of it was gone before I could reply.

“It’s like a coffee cake…”

“Oh, yeah. I like coffee cake, but this looks kinda flat. Are you sure it’s a coffee cake?”

“It’s an Italian coffee cake, not puffy like the ones you’re used to. You like it?”

“Yahmmmmm…”

This is my take on sbrisolona, Italian crumb cake. Most traditional ones are made with almonds or pine nuts, but I wanted to use pistachios, so here you go.

It turns out properly crumby, not like a dry cookie but a slightly sticky crumble.

A round coffee cake topped with pistachio crumble and powdered sugar on a plate.
pistachio crumble coffee cake
4.75 from 4 ratings

Pistachio Crumble Cake

Karen Tedesco
This cake is prepared entirely in a food processor before baking. It keeps very well on your kitchen counter for a few days, if it lasts that long.
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Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

Yield: One 9-inch cake

For streusel:

  • ½ cup (60 g) shelled pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted butter

For cake:

  • 1 cup (123 g) shelled pistachios, toasted
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground anise seed
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) melted butter
  • Grated zest from 1 lemon

Instructions
 

  1. Heat oven to 325 (160 C) degrees and lightly brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with olive oil or melted butter.
  2. To make the streusel, stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. Grind the pistachios in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add the flour, sugar, anise seed and baking powder and pulse to combine.
  4. Whisk together the eggs, olive oil, butter and lemon zest until emulsified. Add to the flour mixture in the food processor and blend just until the batter is smooth, about 30 seconds.
  5. Spread batter into the pan and top evenly with the streusel. Bake 25 – 30 minutes. The cake should spring back to the touch.
  6. Cool cake on a rack 10-15 minutes before removing sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely before serving.

Nutrition per serving

Serving: 1serving Calories: 449kcal Carbohydrates: 50g Protein: 8g Fat: 25g Sodium: 363mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 30g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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