Orange and pistachio cake recipe
Orange and pistachio are great culinary companions and work beautifully alongside the soft richness of the cream cheese. Carve out a generous slice to have with your afternoon tea.
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 50 minutes
SERVES
8-10
INGREDIENTS
90g pistachios
250g unsalted butter, softened
220g caster sugar
200ml fresh orange juice
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
300g self-raising flour
4 large free-range eggs, beaten
For the cream-cheese icing:
250g cream cheese, softened
50g unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
185g icing sugar, sifted
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5. Grease a 20cm square cake tin and line with baking paper.
Put the pistachios in a small food processor and whiz to a fine crumb.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the orange juice, orange zest and flour.
Then add the beaten egg, a little at a time, and stir until combined. Reserve two tablespoons of the ground pistachios for decorating, then fold the remaining pistachios into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
Beat the cream cheese, butter and orange zest until smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar and beat until well incorporated.
Remove the cooled cake from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Spread the icing over the top and sprinkle with the reserved pistachios.
Recipe from A Simple Table by Michele Cranston (Murdoch Books, £14.99). order your copy from books.telegraph.co.uk