serves 8-10

equipment : one 8 inch /20cm cake tin

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1 large orange, grated zest

150g unsalted butter, softened

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

160g plain flour

80g unsalted pistachios

2 ½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

125g ricotta

For the frosting:

60g unsalted butter, softened

60g icing sugar

70g pistachio paste

150g cream cheese, room temp

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1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/180C. Grease and line an 8 inch/20cm cake tin.

2. Grind the pistachios in a food processor until mostly fine. It doesn’t need to a powder, more like very finely chopped. Set aside 1 tablespoon of this to use for the topping.

3. Add the sugar and orange zest to a large bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until it’s fragrant and the sugar looks like wet sand. Add in the butter and vanilla and cream everything together with a stand mixer or electric whisk for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy.

4. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Add in the flour, ground pistachios, baking powder and salt and mix well until smooth. Mix in the ricotta until just combined. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

6. Let the cake cool completely whilst you make the frosting.

7. Add the softened butter and icing sugar to a bowl and beat together with a stand mixer or electric whisk until smooth and pale. Add in the pistachio paste and beat briefly to combine. Add in the cream cheese and beat well until the frosting is smooth and silky.

8. Top the cooled cake with frosting and sprinkle extra ground pistachios on top before serving.