FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER -- pistachio-cherry cake

   I didn't think you wanted to see photos of a frozen pizza for Friday Night Dinner (I'm still painting the guest bedroom), so here's a yummy Pistachio-Cherry Cake I made this past week from Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells. 

   Ms. Wells suggests serving the cake with homemade cherry sorbet, which I did; but for me, it was cherry overload. 

I preferred each of them on their own.  Actually, I really enjoyed the cake for breakfast the day after I baked it.  It's a lovely, moist cake, and the pistachios and cherries are a great combination. 

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                                       Pistachio-Cherry Cake
                adapted from a recipe Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells

• 1 teaspoon almond oil for pan ( I didn't have almond oil and substituted grape seed oil)
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon kirsch or cherry eau-de-vie
• 3/4 cup roasted, salted pistachio nuts, coarsely ground
• 1 pound (4 cups) fresh sweet cherries, rinsed, stemmed and pitted

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2.  Brush a 9 1/2-inch springform pan with the oil.  Set aside. (I used an 8 1/2-inch springform pan and increased my baking time).
3.  Prepare the batter:  In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a whisk, combine the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons of the sugar and beat at the highest speed until thick and pale, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the flour, vanilla extract, almond extract, kirsch, and the pistachios and stir with a wooden spoon to blend.  Set aside.
4.  In a medium bowl, with a hand-held electric mixer, whisk at low speed until the whites are frothy.  Gradually increase the speed and slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, whisking at high speed until stiff but not dry. 
5.  Whisk by hand, a third of the egg white mixture into the batter and stir until the two are thoroughly combined; then, with a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.  Do this slowly.  Do not overmix, but be sure that the mixture is well blended and that no white streaks remain.
6.  Spoon two-thirds of the combined mixture into the prepared pan.  Carefully place the cherries on top.  Cover with the remaining third of batter.  Place in the center of the oven and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. (If using a smaller pan, as I did, increase the baking time accordingly).
7.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.  After 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges of the pan.  Release and remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the pan base.  Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, before eating.