1. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan Set your oven to preheat at 350°F (175°C). While it heats, lightly grease a round cake pan, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, making sure the paper fits snugly against the base. This step is especially important for this cake, since there’s no wheat flour to help it release cleanly from the pan.

2. Whisk the Wet Ingredients In a large mixing bowl, crack in the eggs and add the sugar, melted butter (or olive oil), fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together thoroughly until the mixture looks smooth, well combined, and slightly pale in color, with the sugar mostly dissolved into the liquid.

3. Add the Dry Ingredients Add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt directly into the bowl with the whisked wet ingredients. Stir everything together with a spatula or whisk until the batter looks smooth and uniform, with no dry pockets of almond flour remaining and no lumps throughout.

4. Fold in the Pistachios Using a spatula, gently fold the chopped pistachios into the batter, distributing them evenly throughout without overmixing. The goal is to incorporate them fully while keeping the batter light.

5. Pour and Smooth Pour the finished batter into your prepared, parchment-lined cake pan. Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, smooth the top of the batter into an even layer, making sure it’s level across the pan for consistent baking.

6. Bake the Cake Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Check for doneness by looking for a center that appears fully set (not jiggly or wet-looking) and edges that have turned a light golden brown. Since almond flour cakes can vary slightly in bake time depending on your oven, start checking a few minutes before the earliest time listed to avoid overbaking.

7. Make the Lemon Glaze While the cake bakes, or once it comes out of the oven, combine the lemon juice and sugar for the glaze in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has fully dissolved into the lemon juice and the mixture looks smooth and slightly glossy.

8. Glaze the Warm Cake As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, while it’s still warm, pour the prepared lemon glaze evenly over the top, allowing it to soak in slightly and spread across the surface. Pouring it while the cake is warm helps the glaze absorb into the top layer rather than sitting as a hard coating.

9. Garnish and Cool Immediately sprinkle the extra chopped pistachios over the top of the glazed cake while the glaze is still wet, so they adhere properly. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before attempting to slice it, since almond flour cakes need time to fully set and will hold together much better once fully cooled.

10. Slice and Serve Once the cake has cooled completely, carefully remove it from the pan using the parchment paper as a guide. Slice into wedges and serve.