For a lovely spring dessert recipe that’s bursting full of flavour, give this wonderful pistachio and orange cake a whirl.
Ingredients
- 150g (5oz) butter, softened
- 200g (7oz) caster sugar
- zest 1 orange plus 100ml (4fl oz) juice
- 4 large free-range eggs, beaten
- 150g (5oz) self-raising flour
- 100g (4oz) pistachios, ground in a food processor
- 1tsp baking powder
- for the orange buttercream
- 250g (9oz) soft butter
- 350g (12oz) icing sugar, sifted
- zest 1 orange
- you will need
- a 20cm (8in) round springform cake tin, greased and bottom-lined
Method
Heat the oven to 170 C, 150 C fan, 325 F, gas 3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the orange zest and juice to the eggs, then beat into the butter mixture. If it curdles, add a little flour and it will come back together. Fold in the flour, pistachios and baking powder until you have a smooth mixture.
Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 50 minutes, covering with foil after the first 20 to 30 minutes or when the cake is golden.
While the cake is cooking, make the buttercream. Beat the butter with the icing sugar and orange zest until smooth, then set aside.
When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven, cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then tip on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Spread the buttercream over the top and serve. This will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
