This Nut and Spice Cake is my kind of dessert. And Rosie’s and Jan’s too.
We love the nutty bite, the combination of three varieties of nuts, the aromatics of cardamom and cinnamon, the icing perfumed with orange blossom and, most importantly, that it’s easy to make.
And did I mention that our Nut and Spice Cake is gluten-free. Well, of course.
It’s a cake to have on hand when someone drops by for afternoon tea or you can dress it up with candied orange and pistachios to serve with a decadent cream for a special occasion.
We’re guessing our Nut and Spice Cake will become one of your favourites.
Caren
NUT AND SPICE CAKE WITH ORANGE BLOSSOM ICING
Serves 8-10
160 gm softened unsalted butter, cubed
250 gm raw sugar
4 eggs
150 gm blanched whole almonds
75 gm walnut halves
75 gm shelled unsalted pistachios
½ teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed or ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
150 gm almond meal
½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
80 gm plain yoghurt
Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease and line a 22cm round cake tin with baking paper.
Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 5 minutes until pale. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Process the whole almonds in a food processor until finely chopped. You will have some fine nut meal as well as small pieces of almond.
Repeat with the walnuts and then the pistachios.
Combine the processed nuts, crushed cardamom seeds and orange zest and fold into the creamed mixture.
Combine almond meal, baking powder and salt together and fold into the mix followed by the yoghurt.
Pour into prepared cake tin and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Check after 1 hour.
Stand on a cooling rack for 20 minutes then turn out and allow to cool completely before icing.
Orange Blossom Icing
70 gm pure icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon orange juice, strained
½ teaspoon orange blossom water, or more to taste
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Pistachio pieces, optional
Mix the icing sugar with orange juice to obtain a thick pouring consistency. Add the orange blossom water and drizzle over the cake. Scatter orange zest and pistachio pieces on top.