Pistachio & White Chocolate Cake

Full permission to roll your eyes at me - as this is totally not a cost of living crisis-friendly cake! But it sure does taste good and I'm not even a pistachio girlie! They're too high-maintenance & bloody expensive! But I've been tempted by the green on my screens (thanks algorithm) and wanted to give it a try. So to make it worth my (and your) while this cake also has notes of orange, coconut and the silkiest (dare I say sluttiest) white chocolate frosting. It's proper CAKE, cake. If you need a show stopper, this is your pal. It'll take your breath away.

INGREDIENTS

Dry

• 100g raw & shelled pistachios, blitzed into a rough sand consistency
• 1/2 orange zested, finely chopped
• 115g castor sugar
• 100g bobs 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (I make my own)
• 85g brown rice flour
• 30g desiccated coconut
• 1  tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1  tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Wet

• 180ml (3/4 cup) plain non-dairy milk (with few added gums)
• 120g plain or vanilla non-dairy yoghurt (I used COYO vanilla)
• 50g light-flavoured vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
• 50g olive oil
• juice 1/2 orange
• 1  tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp rose water (optional)

Frosting

• 85g vegan butter (I used Nuttelex Buttery)
• 90g icing sugar
• 1  tsp vanilla
• pinch salt
• 60g vegan white chocolate, melted (needs to be a white chocolate that melts smooth - like Moo Free)
• 70g (1/4 cup) vegan whipping cream, warmed slightly so it's not cold (I used Flora Plant Cream, available in Coles & Woolworths)

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 160C/320F. Grease & line a 21cm/8-inch (or similar) cake tin.
2. Add all the Dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Press out any lumps with the back of a spatula. Make a well in the centre and add to it all the Wet ingredients. Whisk gently from the centre outwards until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Don't over mix.
3. Pour in the prepared pan & bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, it displays a little bounce when pressed and is starting to come away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Once the cake's cool, make your frosting by beating the butter, sugar, vanilla & salt together in a large bowl with electric beaters until pale and creamy (approx. 2 mins). Add the melted white chocolate and beat on low until fully incorporated. Add the whipping cream and beat on low until incorporated. As soon as it starts to thicken it's done! Don't over beat as it will become too stiff (like butter).
5. Ice the cooled cake & decorate with rose petals, chopped pistachios and brown rice syrup (or honey), if desired. Best kept at room temperature, as the icing will harden in the fridge. Still delicious (you can always bring it back to room temp if desired), just something to keep in mind when serving.