Corn Flour Tea Cake with Currants and Pistachios

From: Art of Gluten-Free Baking (http://artofglutenfreebaking.com)

-Adapted from Flavor Flours by Alice Medrich with Maya Klein

Equipment:

8 ½ by 4-½ in/21.6 by 11.43 cm (6 cup) loaf pan

Ingredients

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (180 grams) white rice flour or 1 3/4 cups (180 grams) Thai white rice flour (be sure the brand you use is gluten-free)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (50 grams) corn flour (be sure the brand you use is gluten-free)

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (180 grams) granulated sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick/115 grams) unsalted butter, very soft

Scant ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

¾ cup (175 ml) plain yogurt (any percent fat) or slightly watered-down Greek yogurt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon aniseed

½ cup dried currants

½ cup (50 grams) chopped toasted pistachio nuts (I use unsalted)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.

Combine the rice and corn flours, sugar, butter, and salt in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture has the texture of brown sugar, about a minute. Add the baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and aniseed and beat at medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes; the batter should be very smooth and fluffy. Beat in the currants and nuts on low speed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto wire rack to cool completely. The cake keeps for up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.