I made a cake. It’s a proper, cut with a trowel cake that’s hearty and perfect with a cup of tea. You do need to sacrifice rather a lot of pistachios to the cause, but I am okay with that, for they add a sweet, nutty saltiness to the cake which makes it pretty special.
Photography by Scott Choucino
Board by Woodrow Studios
Lots of great recipes like this in my books, Recipes from a Normal Mum and The Power of Frozen.
One year ago: Sweet illusion cake, Chocolate collar cake and Maakouda.
Two years ago: Sweet potato and mushroom chilli, Toffee apples, Peach, tea and white chocolate traybake, Milk, tea and honey cupcakes, Chocolate lime pinata cake, Chorizo, kale and roast potato traybake, Quinoa veggie burgers, Thai turkey lettuce cups, Cucumber salad and Blackberry and pear crumble.
Three years ago: Lemon cheesecake, Ginger and Caramac version, Peanut butter pie with an Oreo crust, Double chocolate pecan pie and salted caramel traybake, a Traditional Christmas pud and Parkin for Bonfire night
Four years ago: Chocolate hazelnut truffles and Delicious microwave Christmas pud
Five years ago: Mini Yorkshire pudding canapes, Christmas pudding fizz, Brandy butter icing and my Lemon drizzle secrets
Six years ago: Lime meringue pie with chocolate pastry, Christmas scones, Ginger cake with gingerbread Christmas cottage, Bonfire night treacle toffee flapjack and My festive take on cheesecake
Seven years ago: Moonuts, Cheese biscuits, Parsnip soup and a Steamed cherry and pecan pudding
Pistachio & Cherry Cake
- 140g shelled pistachios (Sainsburys do sell them ready shelled), blitzed in a food processor until finely ground
- 250g self raising flour
- 140g salted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 140g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 125mls milk
- 200g glace Morello cherries
- 100g whole shelled pistachios
Preheat the oven to 180/fan/160C/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 22cm (ish – you can use a similar sized one and bake for a little shorter or longer – the larger the tin, the shorter the bake time) round loose bottomed cake tin with a little extra butter and non stick baking paper.
Stir together the ground pistachios and flour. Add the butter to the top and mix together with a stand mixer using the flat beater, a handheld mixer with the beater attachment or by hand using your finger and thumbs. Mix until you have a breadcrumb like rubble consistency. Then add the sugar, eggs, milk and cherries and stir briefly until combined. Tip into the tin, level with a knife and scatter with the whole pistachios.
Bake for 1 hour until golden brown and a skewer comes out of the cake clean. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy heartily.
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Holly Bell 