Pistachio Pound Cake with Drippy Icing

We have updated the standard loaf with a few additions.Cream cheese makes the cake wonderfully moist, while ground pistachios lend the batter a distinct nutty flavor and faint green tinge. Drizzled with icing and sprinkled with pistachio slivers, this cake couldn't be more appropriate for the season.

vegetable-oil cooking spray
3 cups flour, unbleached, + more for dusting
1¼ cups (2½ sticks) butter, room temperature
¾ cup (6 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup pistachios, shelled, ground to a paste in a food processor
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
¾ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

Garnish:
1 recipe Drippy Icing
1½ cups pistachio slivers

Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat two 8½x4½” loaf pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment; spray parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and pistachio paste until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Gradually add sugar; beat until smooth. Scrape down side of bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt; beat until just combined. Fold in chopped pistachios.

Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 20 minutes. Unmold, and remove parchment. Let cool. Cakes can be wrapped well in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Drizzle cakes with icing, and sprinkle with pistachio slivers.

Makes 10-12 servings.