Ideal for afternoon tea or as a sophisticated dessert, this cake will enchant your guests with its elegant appearance and exquisite combination of ingredients. The ground pistachios provide a distinctive, slightly sweet base, complemented by the tangy lemon icing, which adds a bright note to every bite. The addition of courgette not only contributes to the tender crumb of the cake, but also introduces a subtle earthy flavour that perfectly balances the sweetness.
Ingredients:
- 175g shelled pistachios
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 200g room temperature butter, plus extra for greasing
- 280g plain flour
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- 1¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3 large eggs
- 140g Greek-style full fat yoghurt
- Peel and juice of 3 lemons
- 140g coarsely grated courgette
- 175g powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon curd (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a cake tin with baking paper.
Place 150g of the pistachios and the sugar in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are very finely ground.
Place the ground pistachio mixture in a bowl with the butter, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, eggs, yoghurt and zest and juice of 2 lemons. Whisk until smooth.
Stir in the grated courgette until well mixed, then scrape the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake is risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool.
For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add enough lemon juice to make a runny consistency. If you run out of juice, continue with water.
Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake and repeat with the lemon curd, if using. Roughly chop the remaining pistachios and scatter over the top, along with the remaining lemon zest.
Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt on the side for an extra creamy touch.
