Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the cake

01 - 100g unsalted pistachios, de-shelled
02 - 200g caster sugar
03 - 200g margarine
04 - 150g self-raising flour
05 - 1 tsp baking powder
06 - 4 eggs
07 - 2 tbsp milk

→ For the icing

08 - 200g full fat cream cheese
09 - 130g icing sugar
10 - ⅛ tsp vanilla extract

→ To decorate

11 - 2 tbsp pistachios, ground

# Instructions:

01 - Heat your oven to 170°C (fan) or 190°C (conventional). Grab two 8-inch loose-bottomed sandwich tins and line them with parchment paper. The loose bottoms make it so much easier to get the cakes out later!
02 - Pop your pistachios into a food processor and blitz them until they're fairly fine - not quite powder, but no big chunks either. This gives the cake that lovely pistachio flavor throughout.
03 - Beat together the margarine and caster sugar until it's really light and fluffy - this might take a few minutes but it's worth it for a lighter cake. Don't rush this part!
04 - Add your ground pistachios to the butter and sugar mixture, then throw in the self-raising flour, baking powder, eggs, and milk. Mix everything just until it's combined - overmixing will make your cake tough, and nobody wants that.
05 - Divide your cake batter evenly between the two prepared tins. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon. Pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they're golden on top and a cocktail stick poked in the middle comes out clean.
06 - Let the cakes cool in their tins for about 10 minutes - they're delicate while hot! Then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is key here - if you try to ice them while warm, you'll end up with a melty mess.
07 - Once your cakes are completely cool, make your icing by mixing the cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and silky. Don't overmix or it might get too runny.
08 - Place one cake upside down on your serving plate (this gives you a nice flat surface to work with). Spoon about half of your cream cheese mixture onto the cake and spread it out evenly with a palette knife or the back of a spoon.
09 - Gently place the second cake on top, right side up this time. Spread the remaining cream cheese mixture over the top - don't worry about the sides, that's part of the charm of this rustic-style cake.
10 - Blitz your remaining pistachios until they're coarsely ground and sprinkle them over the top of the cake. This adds a lovely bit of color and texture, plus it hints at the pistachio goodness that awaits inside!

# Notes:

01 - You can use either margarine or butter in this recipe - margarine makes for a slightly lighter cake, while butter gives a richer flavor.
02 - Because of the cream cheese icing, this cake should be stored in the fridge. Just take it out about 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
03 - This cake stays fresh for up to 3 days when kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
04 - For a more intense pistachio flavor, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract to the cake batter - it enhances the nuttiness beautifully.

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