Pistachio and cardamom cake recipe

Not only are pistachios highly nutritious, they're also forgiving to the baker, said Michael and Pippa James. The moisture provided by their fat content makes this cake almost impossible to overbake. Our top tip is to freeze the pistachios before blitzing – that way they won't get smooshed between your food processor blades. Eat this cake for afternoon tea – preferably after an invigorating walk.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

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• 140g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g raw (demerara) sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp real vanilla paste)
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄4 tsp fine sea salt
• 150g pistachios, roughly ground
• 2 tsp ground cardamom seeds
• 140g sour cream or crème fraîche

For the icing and to finish:

• 110g icing sugar
• 20g lemon juice
• 30g pistachios, roughly chopped

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C (320 ̊F). Grease a 25×10cm loaf tin and line it with baking paper.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and orange zest for about 10 mins, until the mixture is pale and creamy. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. In several stages, add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture, mixing well between each addition to ensure the eggs are fully incorporated.
• Scrape down the side of the bowl as necessary to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Add the ground pistachios and cardamom and mix well. Use a spatula to gently fold the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture, in two or three batches. Finally, add the sour cream and gently fold it in until just incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into your tin and use a spatula to gently smooth out the top, then bake for 40 mins. Rotate the tin in the oven and bake for another 10 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool your cake in the tin for about 10 mins before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Once cool, ice the cake. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl and whisk in the lemon juice until the icing is a thick pouring consistency. Adjust by adding a little more juice or icing sugar as required. Spoon it over the cooled cake to cover the top, allowing a little to drizzle over the sides. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the top immediately, so they set into the icing as it cools.

Taken from Sweet Seasons by Michael and Pippa James, published by Hardie Grant at £26. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £22.99 (incl. p&p), call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.