Pistachio buttercake with orange honey syrup

By sarah_carroll

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) pistachio nuts, chopped coarsely
• 185g butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
• ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup (60ml) buttermilk
• 1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour
• ¾ cup (110g) plain flour
• orange honey syrup
• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
• 1 cup (250ml) water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
• 3 star anise
• 3 strips orange rind

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Orange honey syrup
Stir ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves; bring to boil. Remove from heat; cool 15 minutes, strain.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 23cm-square slab cake pan; line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm over sides. Sprinkle nuts evenly over base of pan.

Beat butter, rind and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined between additions; transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in combined buttermilk and 1 /3 cup of Orange Honey Syrup, and sifted flours, in two batches.

Spread mixture into pan; bake for about 40 minutes. Stand cake for 5 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto baking paper-covered wire rack. Brush surface of hot cake with half of the remaining heated syrup.

Cut cake into squares; serve warm, drizzled with remaining heated syrup.