Lime & Pistachio Cake

Grey days make me feel like making soup & baking.  On Saturday I attempted florentines & ended up with one giant florentine.  Boy do those little biscuits spread!  Batch 4 & I still didn’t quite have it right!  Not quite the perfect little rounds drizzled with chocolate that I was going for, though they did taste delicious & what are crunchy, nutty, toffee florentine like shards will make the perfect topping for some ice cream, which I am happy to indulge in all year round.

Sunday’s baking adventures proved a little more successful. Flicking through the latest issue of Donna Hay Magazine this cake was what caught my attention. It was also a good way to use up some of these little beauties given to me by a friend at work.

Along with lime there were pistachio & almonds in lieu of flour & a good drizzle of honey. So this would also be the perfect cake for any gluten free people out there. A zesty, nutty cake that almost sounds like it is good for you with fruit, nuts & honey all present.

Lime & Pistachio Cake from Donna Hay

My only tweak a little more lime.

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened

165g caster sugar

2 tbsp lime zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, at room temperature

180g almond meal*

130g pistachio meal*

Honey for drizzling

*If you can’t find nut meal just buy the nuts & blitz them in a food processor.

Directions

Pre heat oven to 160C / 325F.  Lightly grease & line a 29cm x 7cm x 8cm  loaf tin with  baking paper.

Place the butter, sugar, lime zest & vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer & beat until pale & creamy, 10-12 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl & add the eggs one at a time, beat for a moment after you add each one.  Beat for 3-4 minutes more until well combined & then fold through the almond meal & pistachio meal until all mixed together.

Spoon the mixture in to the loaf tin & smooth the top with a palette knife.  Pop in the oven & bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer comes out almost clean with just a few crumbs attached.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin & then gently remove.  To serve drizzle with honey.

Zesty, nutty & quite delicious with a cuppa.

If you like this you might like this Brown Buttered Apple & Rosemary Cake

One year ago Puchero

Two years ago Raddichio 2 Ways

This is also my entry for this month's Sweet New Zealand being hosted by Bridget over at After Taste.

Enjoy!