Hello Pistachio and Orange Cake

Happy Monday! It was Rosie's birthday last week and Hannah baked this ahhh-maze-ing cake! So by popular demand here is the recepie if you want to try it yourself. xx

Middle Eastern Pistachio and Orange Cake with Chocolate and Pistachio Top

For the Cake:
2 Large oranges
6 eggs
250g caster sugar
250g ground pistachio nuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
 
For the syrup:
255g caster sugar
Juice and zest of 1 orange
125ml water
A sprig of coriander (optional)
3 black peppercorns (optional)
4 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon orange blossom water
 
For the chocolate and pistachio top:
50g pistachio nuts
150g dark chocolate
75g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
 
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/Gas Mark 4. Butter and line a 25cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
Put the oranges in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, adding more water to cover if necessary. Allow to cool, then remove the pips and roughly chop the oranges, skin and all. Put them in a blender or food processor and process to a pulp.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until they are pale and think. Rain in the ground pistachios and baking powder and keep beating for a few seconds. Then stop, add the pureed oranges and beat again for a few more seconds until they are well mixed in. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin and bake for a good hour, covering with a piece of baking paper about three-quarters of the way through to stop it going too dark on top. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make the syrup. Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then strain. When the cake is done, leave it in the tin to cool, then gently turn it out. Pierce all cover with a skewer and pour over the syrup.
For the topping, preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Spread the pistachios out on a baking tray, place in the oven and leave for about 20minutes; they shouldn’t colour.
Skin them by rubbing them in a clean tea towel, then chop roughly. Put all the rest of the topping ingredients in a bowl. Leave until the chocolate and butter have melted, then stir well to amalgamate the ingredients into a smooth, silky, shiny ganache.

Place the cake on a large, round plate and pour over the topping while still hot, sprinkle with the toasted pistachio nuts to finish.

Recipe from Nadine Abensur's 'Enjoy' re-created for Polli by the lovely Hannah Oman. A very happy Sydney birthday to Maja today. xx