Pignoli Almond Cake

• tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan (2 1/4 sticks)↗18
• vanilla beans↗2
• cups superfine sugar↗1 1⁄4
• lemon, juice of↗1
• eggs↗4
• tablespoons pine nuts↗6
• cup all-purpose flour↗3⁄4
• cup ground almonds↗1
• lemons, zest of, finely grated↗2
• teaspoon table salt↗1⁄4

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 350°F Liberally grease an 8.5x4.5x2.5 loaf pan and line with parchment.

2. 2

   Bring butter to room temperature in the work bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl). Split the vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds; add to butter. Add sugar and lemon juice and beat on medium using paddle attachment until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.

3. 3

   Chop half the pine nuts coarsely and set aside. Stir together flour and almonds. Add 1/3 of the dry mixture, and beat just to combine. Add another 1/3 of the mixture and repeat. Add the remaining dry ingredients with the lemon zest and chopped pine nuts and stir to combine.

4. 4

   Toss remaining pine nuts with salt. Spoon batter into prepared pan, top with salted pine nuts and bake 60 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan.