Zesty Lemon Pistachio Cake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the cake

01 - 175g unsalted butter, softened
02 - 175g caster sugar
03 - 3 large eggs
04 - 175g self-raising flour
05 - 1 tsp baking powder
06 - 100g pistachios, finely ground
07 - Zest of 2 lemons
08 - 2-3 tbsp milk

→ For the lemon glaze

09 - 100g icing sugar
10 - Juice of 1 lemon

→ For the topping

11 - A handful of chopped pistachios
12 - Extra lemon zest or curls for decoration

# Instructions:

01 - First things first - switch your oven on to 180°C (or 160°C if you've got a fan oven). While that's warming up, grab a 9-inch round cake tin and give it a good greasing. Line the bottom with some parchment paper to make sure your cake doesn't stick later.
02 - Drop your softened butter into a mixing bowl and add the caster sugar. Beat them together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy - this usually takes a few minutes with an electric mixer, or a bit of elbow grease if you're doing it by hand. This creaming process is what gives your cake that lovely light texture, so don't rush it!
03 - Crack in your eggs one at a time, giving the mixture a good stir after each one goes in. If it starts to look a bit curdled, don't worry - a spoonful of your flour will fix that right up. Once the eggs are mixed in, grate in the zest from your lemons and stir it through. That fresh citrus smell is just gorgeous!
04 - Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder over your mixture to get rid of any lumps. Add your ground pistachios too - these give the cake its wonderful nutty flavor and beautiful green flecks. Gently fold everything together using a spatula or metal spoon. Try to keep all that air in the mixture by being gentle - don't beat it or stir too vigorously.
05 - Have a look at your cake batter - it should fall slowly from a spoon when lifted. If it seems too thick, add a splash of milk (2-3 tablespoons should do the trick) until you get a nice dropping consistency. This helps keep your cake moist while baking.
06 - Tip your cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Pop it into your preheated oven and bake for around 40-45 minutes. You'll know it's done when it's risen, golden on top, and a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean without any wet batter on it.
07 - When your cake is baked, leave it in the tin for about 10 minutes to settle. Then carefully transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Don't rush this step - if you glaze the cake while it's still warm, the glaze will just soak in rather than sitting prettily on top.
08 - While your cake is cooling, mix up the glaze. Sift your icing sugar into a bowl to remove any lumps, then squeeze in the juice from one lemon. Stir until smooth - add a tiny bit more lemon juice if it's too thick, or a bit more icing sugar if it's too runny. You're looking for something that will pour slowly but still coat the back of a spoon.
09 - Once your cake is completely cool, drizzle the glaze all over the top, letting it run down the sides a bit. While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle over your chopped pistachios so they stick to the top. Add a few curls of lemon zest for an extra pop of color and citrus zing. Let the glaze set before slicing into your beautiful creation!

# Notes:

01 - This cake keeps really well in an airtight container for up to 3 days - if it lasts that long!
02 - For an extra lemony kick, you can poke holes in the warm cake with a skewer and drizzle over a simple syrup made from lemon juice and sugar before adding the glaze.
03 - If you can't find ground pistachios, just blitz whole unsalted pistachios in a food processor until finely ground, but stop before they turn into butter.
04 - This recipe also works beautifully as individual cupcakes - just reduce the baking time to about 18-20 minutes.

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