Coconut, Rose & Pistachio Cake

A simple combination of flavours put together that produce a delicious sponge cake, perfect for any teatime gathering. The sponge is flavoured with coconut and pistachio and drizzled with a rosewater sugar syrup before being topped with dried rose petals.

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INGREDIENTS

For the Sponge

- 40g Butter

- 2tbsp Vegetable oil

- 90g Pistachios (unsalted)

- 25g Desiccated coconut

- 65g Plain flour

- 1tsp Baking powder

- 2 Eggs

- 115g Caster sugar

- 2tbsp Natural yoghurt

For the Syrup

- 1/2tsp Rose water

- 50g Caster sugar

- 50ml Water

To decorate

- A small handful of dried rose petals

METHOD

- In a small saucepan, heat the butter and oil together until the butter has melted completely.

- In a food processor, blitz the pistachios until they are almost like a fine powder before adding the coconut, flour and baking powder and blitzing again.

- In a freestanding electric mixture (with whisk attachment), whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is smooth and thick.

- Beat in the butter and oil mixture before adding the natural yogurt.

- Fold into the egg mixture the pistachio, coconut, flour and baking powder mixture.

- Pour into a greased and lined loaf tin.

- Bake in the oven (at 160 degrees fan) for 45 minutes.

- Just before the cake comes out of the oven, prepare the sugar syrup by placing the rose water, sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.

- Remove the cake from the oven. Using a cocktail stick poke a couple of holes on the surface of the sponge before brushing with the rose syrup.

- Scatter a small handful of rose petals evenly on the top of the sponge before serving.

- This cake is best served on the day it has been made.