Pistachio cake

Method9 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to180°C /160°C fan /gas4. Grease a23-centimetre springform tin with the separate extra butter and line it with baking parchment.

   Uses Extra butter to grease the cake tin, as needed

2. 2

   Step 2: Measure150 grams of the pistachios and grind them finely in a food processor, holding the other50 grams for the topping. Mix the ground150 grams with all the plain flour (80 g), baking powder (1 tsp) and pinch of batter salt.

   Uses 150 g pistachios for batter · 80 g plain flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 pinch salt for cake batter

3. 3

   Step 3: Beat only all the softened batter butter (250 g) and caster sugar (225 g) for about five minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the four eggs one at a time, mixing for one minute after each egg; keep the icing sugar for the cream.

   Uses 250 g softened butter for cake batter · 225 g caster sugar for batter · 4 eggs, at room temperature when mixing

4. 4

   Step 4: Beat all the vanilla (1 tsp) into the actual creamed mixture, then gently fold in the actual ground-pistachio flour mixture. Spoon all this batter into the prepared springform tin and bake for35–40 minutes until a skewer in the centre comes out clean.

   Bake pistachio sponge until centre is set · 40 minUses All prepared creamed batter base · All prepared dry batter mixture · 1 tsp vanilla extract

5. 5

   Step 5: Put the actual cake, still in its tin, on a wire rack and let it cool completely before releasing and cutting it.

   Uses The whole actual baked cake

6. 6

   Step 6: While the cake cools, sift all the icing sugar (100 g) into a bowl. Beat it with all the mascarpone (250 g), double cream (200 ml) and separate ready-made pistachio paste (100 g) until combined. Refrigerate this actual cream for20–30 minutes until thick enough to spoon.

   Chill pistachio cream until spoonable · 30 minUses 100 g icing sugar for cream · 250 g mascarpone for cream · 200 ml double cream for cream · 100 g ready-made pistachio paste for cream

7. 7

   Step 7: Release the completely cooled cake from the tin and use a serrated knife to split it horizontally into two layers. Put the lower layer on a plate and spread it with a generous spoonful of the actual chilled pistachio cream, keeping the rest for the outside.

   Uses The whole cooled cake · A generous spoonful of actual cream; retain the rest

8. 8

   Step 8: Wash and drain the raspberries. Cover the cream-coated bottom layer with a generous handful of berries, keeping the remainder for the topping. Put the actual reserved upper sponge layer in place, then cover the cake top and sides with all the actual cream remaining from step6.

   Uses The bottom layer and reserved top layer · All actual cream left after step7 · Generous handful raspberries for filling; retain the rest

9. 9

   Step 9: Roughly chop the reserved50 grams pistachios. Wash the unwaxed lime (1) and finely grate all its zest, leaving the bitter white pith. Scatter the remaining raspberries, chopped topping pistachios and lime zest over the actual cake. Serve as fifteen slices. Keep leftovers chilled in an airtight container for up to two days.

   Uses The complete actual assembled cake · All raspberries remaining after the filling · Remaining50 g pistachios for topping · 1 unwaxed lime, zest only