Pistachio picnic cake with cream cheese icing

Name: Pistachio picnic cake with cream cheese icing
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10-12
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 250g raw unsalted pistachio kernels; 1 tsp sea salt flakes; 275g plain flour, sifted; 2 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 175g unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed; 320g caster sugar; 4 eggs; ½ tbsp vanilla bean extract; 140g Greek yoghurt; ½ cup (125ml) milk

Katrina Meynink

December 7, 2022

Ice and then decorate this cake with flowers and berries of your choice.Katrina Meynink

Time:1-2 hoursServes:10-12

The nutty, buttery flavour and coarser crumb texture that pistachio brings to a cake is unparalleled. This teacake is very simple, and its adornments can be as stripped back or as full-on (I can't help myself) as you like.

Ingredients

250g raw unsalted pistachio kernels
1 tsp sea salt flakes
275g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
320g caster sugar
4 eggs
½ tbsp vanilla bean extract
140g Greek yoghurt
½ cup (125ml) milk

Icing

250g cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (70g) icing sugar mixture, sifted
½-1 tbsp rosewater
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

To decorate

¼ cup lemon curd
1 cup mixed berries (I used blueberries and raspberries)
crushed freeze-dried raspberries (optional)
edible flowers, to scatter

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional). Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
Step 2
Add the pistachio kernels to a food processor and blitz to a coarse sandy consistency, similar to almond meal. Add to a bowl with the flour, sea salt flakes, baking powder and bicarb soda. Stir to combine then set aside.
Step 3
Add the butter and caster sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated, then stir through the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat briefly until just combined. Add the yoghurt until incorporated and then turn the speed of the mixer to low and add the milk.
Step 4
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing.
Step 5
Place the cream cheese, icing sugar, rosewater and vanilla in a food processor (or stand mixer) and whiz (or whip) until smooth. Spread the icing over the cooled cake. Dollop the lemon curd on and top with the berries. Scatter over the crushed freeze-dried raspberries and garnish with flowers, if using, then serve.