EARL GREY AND PISTACHIO TEA CAKE

Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 40 mins Serves 12

4 Tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves

/ cup cream

Juice and finely grated zest

of 2 oranges

2 cups caster sugar

160g pistachios, plus extra sliced,

to serve 125g unsalted bu’er, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla paste /“ bunch thyme, very finely chopped 2 free-range eggs

1/ cups self-raising flour / cup bu’ermilk

250g cream cheese (full fat, not light) / cup icing sugar, si˜ed Candied oranges, to serve

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced (190°C conventional). Line a 24cm cake tin with baking paper.

STEP 2 Combine half of the tea leaves with cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes, then set aside to cool. Strain through a fine sieve. Mix remaining leaves, juice and ‹/Ž cup of the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until syrupy, then strain through a fine sieve.

STEP 3 Put pistachios in a mortar with ‹/Ž cup of the sugar and pound to make a paste. Combine bu‘er, vanilla, thyme, zest and remaining sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle a‘achment on medium speed for 5 minutes, until light. Beat in eggs, mixing until well combined.

STEP 4 Si€ flour onto bu‘er mixture and fold in, alternating with bu‘ermilk. Mix in pistachio paste. Spoon ba‘er into prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Brush with tea syrup. Cool on a wire rack.

STEP 5 Combine cream cheese, icing sugar and tea cream in bowl of a stand mixer and beat with paddle a‘achment on high speed for 5 minutes, until very light. Ice cake, then garnish with candied oranges and extra pistachios. Serve.