This luscious Spiced Walnut & Pistachio Cake, fragrant with the beautiful Middle Eastern flavours of cinnamon, pistachios, walnuts and orange, has a lovely crunchy nut topping and is bathed in a spiced syrup, making it gorgeously moist.
It is gluten free, grain free and refined-sugar free.
Spiced Walnut & Pistachio Cake
Ingredients
- 400 grams walnuts
- 260 grams blanched almond meal , blanched
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp baking powder , aluminium free
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 large organic eggs
- 100 grams butter , melted
- 1 organic orange , juice and finely grated zest
- 180 ml maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp vanilla
Spiced Syrup
- 100 ml maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 60 ml water
Crunchy Pistachio Topping
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup pistachios , roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160C. Butter a 23cm springform tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
- Grind the walnuts to a coarse meal in a food processor.
- Add the almond meal, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder and salt to the food processor and pulse just until mixed together.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs, butter, orange juice, orange zest, maple syrup and vanilla together for a few minutes, until combined and smooth.
- Gently fold the two mixtures together, being careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin, place the tin on a baking tray and put it into the oven.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until cooked through and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- To make the spiced syrup gently simmer all of the ingredients in a small saucepan for 5 minutes.
- Take the cake out of the oven and allow to cool in the tin. While the cake is cooling pour over the syrup.
- Make the crunchy pistachio topping by melting the butter in a small frypan over a low heat. Add the pistachios and maple syrup to the pan and toss altogether for about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let come to room temperature.
- Once the cake has completely cooled sprinkle over the pistachios.
- Serve with creme fraiche, sheeps yoghurt or thick cream.
This cake is AMAZING!
I made it for a friend who loves baklava but it also needed to be GF for other guests.
Such a winner.
Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂