GLUTEN-FREE PISTACHIO AND LIME CAKE
This pretty cake is pretty easily made. And that’s always a good thing.
If you have trouble sourcing ground pistachio then simply buy some shelled, unsalted pistachios and whizz them up in a food processor. Just make sure you keep an eye on them as you don’t want to end up with a paste. Alternatively, ask your nut supplier to do the grinding for you. I use the helpful Nut Shop in the Strand Arcade in Sydney.
While the rose petals decoration is optional I highly recommend going that extra step for the beautiful perfume they impart to the cake.
Happy baking, Caren
PISTACHIO AND LIME CAKE
Serves 10
60 gm Revenge Gluten-Free Plain Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100 gm pistachios, finely ground
120 gm almond meal
3 limes, zest only (use the juice for the syrup)
1 teaspoon guar gum
250 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature
200 gm caster sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Plain or sweetened yoghurt or whipped cream to serve
Preheat oven to 170 C. Grease a 20-21cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground pistachios, almond meal, zest and guar gum until well combined.
Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. On slow speed, add the flour mixture and vanilla. Do not over mix as the cake may be tough.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Place on a cake rack in the tin and allow to cool a little while the topping is prepared.
Topping
100 gm caster sugar
100 ml lime juice
Pinch of salt
100 gm slivered pistachios
Edible, dried rose petals for decoration, optional
Put sugar and lime juice in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the salt and slivered pistachios and bring to the boil.
Turn the cake out onto a serving platter. Remove all the baking paper. Spoon the warm nutty syrup onto the top of the cake and leave to cool completely.
If using rose petals scatter some over the pistachio topping. They will add a lovely perfume to the cake. The cake can be stored in a cool place in an airtight container for a day or two, or even in the fridge for 3-4 days but bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Serve with yoghurt or whipped cream.
TIP:
For a perfumed accompaniment, sweeten 2 cups of yoghurt with a tablespoon of icing sugar and stir in ½-1 teaspoon of rosewater.