Pistachio, lime & raspberry wowzer cake
YOU WILL NEED
For the sponge 480g plain flour
280g caster sugar 4 tsp baking powder 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
480g soy yogurt 180ml sunflower oil 2 tbsp golden syrup 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 175g pistachio nuts, shelled
finely grated zest of 1 lime 4 tbsp freeze-dried raspberries
To decorate 1 quantity of vegan buttercream, made with 400g vegan butter, 2 tsp pure vanilla extract and 800g icing sugar 30g raspberries, plus 5 more to decorate 2 tbsp vegan seedless raspberry or red berry jam 50g pistachio nuts, shelled and chopped 1-2 tbsp freeze-dried raspberries
1-2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds 1-2 tbsp goji berries
DIRECTIONS
■ Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/
Gas Mark 4. Grease and line 2 deep 20cm cake tins.
■ To make the sponge mixture, sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and mix with a spoon to combine. Make a well in the middle. Put the yogurt into a bowl with the sunflower oil, golden syrup and vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon until fully combined. Pour into the well of dry ingredients. Fold through with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined and smooth.
■ Put the pistachio nuts in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Stir through the cake batter along with the lime zest and freeze-dried raspberries. Divide between the cake tins and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until an inserted cocktail stick or toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
■ Trim the tops from each cake to make level. Put 150g of the trimmings into a bowl (if you haven’t got enough, shave a little from each cake until you have the correct amount of trimmings). Cover and set aside.
■ Sandwich the cakes together using 200g of the buttercream – the bottom side of the top cake should be facing up. Place the cake on a cake board. Crumb coat the cake using 300g of the buttercream. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
■ Use 300g of the remaining buttercream to coat the cake in a second layer of buttercream. Smooth and remove the excess.
■ Mash the raspberries to a pulp, then mix with the raspberry or red berry jam. Smear blobs of the jam mixture around the cake, then smooth and remove the excess to get a smooth two-tone effect.
■ Put the 150g of reserved cake trimmings into a bowl and break it up so it resembles breadcrumbs. Add 100g of the buttercream and mix with a fork until combined. Use like a ‘clay’ and press onto the cake to create a shawl-like shape then chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
■ Use a dinner knife to coat the ‘shawl’ roughly and very thickly using the remaining buttercream; this will cover it and act as a ‘glue’. Stick on the chopped pistachio nuts, freeze-dried raspberries, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds and goji berries.
■ Use the 5 fresh raspberries to decorate the opposite side of the top of the cake.
Va Va Voom Vegan Cakes by Angela Romeo, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£16.99) Photography by Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small