CITRUS OLIVE OIL PISTACHIO CAKE

CITRUS OLIVE OIL PISTACHIO CAKE

Recipe

I love the fresh, green flavour of olive oil in this cake - it complements the citrus and pistachios so well and creates a lovely moist texture. Be careful when blitzing your pistachios to not create a nut butter!

SERVES 12

FOR THE CAKE

130g raw pistachios

3 tbsp caster sugar

4 free-range eggs

260g caster sugar

2 oranges, zested and juiced

2 lemons, zested and juiced

130g melted butter, cooled

160g extra virgin olive oil

130g ground almonds

100g all purpose white or spelt flour

65g fine polenta

1⅓ tsp baking powder

½ tsp fine salt

FOR THE ICING

150g butter, softened

220g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g cream cheese, room temperature

For the decorations

A handful of chopped pistachios

1 fresh lemon, peeled and cut into small triangular segments (or use freeze-dried lemon)

3 tbsp good quality store bought lemon curd

Fresh or dried rose petals (optional)

For the cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan bake. Line 2 x 22cm cake pan with baking paper.
  2. In a food processor, blitz the pistachios with 3 tbsp of caster sugar until finely ground. Set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and zests until pale and thick. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and olive oil to emulsify.
  4. Combine all the dry ingredients, including the blitzed pistachios in a bowl.
  5. By hand, gently fold in ⅓ of the dry ingredients, followed by a ⅓ of the citrus juice. Continue this pattern until all of your ingredients are incorporated.
  6. Evenly divide the batter between the 2 prepared tins and spread out to the sides.
  7. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until lightly golden, springy to the touch and a knife inserted comes out clean.
  8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.
    For the icing
  9. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat the butter by itself until smooth.
  10. Add the icing sugar and beat on high until seriously light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, then gradually add the cream cheese. Do not overdo this step.
    Assembly
  11. Once the cakes are completely cool, ice one layer. Place the second layer on top and neatly ice it.
  12. Decorate with smears of lemon curd, a scattering of pistachios and rose petals, and a few segments of fresh lemon.
  13. Serve at room temperature.
  14. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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