Bhutan Blossoms Orange and Pistachio Cake

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

Cake

2 medium navel oranges

1 cup shelled pistachios

½ cup plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1/2  cup caster sugar

¼ cup olive oil

Syrup

½  cup fresh orange juice (1-2 oranges)

½ cup honey

Cream cheese frosting

250g cream cheese

100g unsalted butter

¾ cup icing sugar

1 tsp orange zest

1 Tbsp milk (optional)

To decorate

Extra chopped pistachios for decoration

Bhutan Blossoms’ Himalayan Flower Mix

Method

1. Wash the oranges and place them into a saucepan, covering them with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 1 hour. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. While the oranges are simmering, preheat the oven to 180℃ and grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
3. Roast the pistachios on an oven tray for around 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Set aside to cool briefly, then blend in a food processor to make a nut meal consistency. Measure out 1 ½ cups and set aside.
4. Cut the oranges into quarters and remove the seeds. Blend in a food processor until smooth and set aside.

1. Mix the eggs, sugar and olive oil on high speed with an electric mixer until tripled in volume, around 5 minutes.
2. Add the oranges and mix until combined.
3. Gently fold through the pistachio meal, the flour and the baking powder. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes.
4. While the cake is baking, make the orange and honey syrup. Bring the orange and honey to a boil in a small saucepan and simmer until slightly thickened, around 5 minutes.
5. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until soft and light. Sift the icing sugar over the top and add the orange zest. Continue to mix until light and smooth. Loosen it slightly with a tablespoon of milk if necessary. Keep it in the fridge until needed.
6. When the cake is done, let it cool slightly and poke holes in the top with a skewer. While it is still warm, drizzle ¾ of  the warm syrup over the top, reserving ¼.
7. Allow the cake to cool completely and to absorb the syrup, then top the cake with the cream cheese frosting. Drizzle the remaining syrup over the top and decorate with extra chopped pistachios and a generous sprinkle of Bhutan Blossoms’ Himalayan Flower Mix.

Breda is a freelance food content creator, recipe developer and stylist living and working in Sydney. She is passionate about all food that is full of flavour; community, family, heritage and hospitality are at the centre of her food philosophy. She runs Una Mas Creative with her husband, making original and branded content. Check out Breda's Instagram here, and Unamas Creative page here!