Orange, raspberry and pistachio cake

This moist cake with its hint of spices complemented by the tartness of the raspberries offers it a fresh and vibrant flavour profile. Add to this the zing of citrus and it all comes together beautifully.

Ingredients

1½ cups	flour
2 tsp	baking powder
½ tsp	ground ginger
½ tsp	ground cardamom
¾ tsp	salt
1 cup	sugar
3	eggs
1½ cups	ricotta cheese
1	orange, finely grated zest only
2 Tbsp	orange juice
1 tsp	vanilla extract
½ cup	browned butter*
1 cup	raspberries, fresh or frozen
⅓ cup	chopped pistachios
To serve	yoghurt
To serve	sugar crystals (optional)

Candied orange slices

1½ cups	sugar
1–2	oranges, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Make the candied orange slices ahead of time. In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in 1 1/2 cups of water over a low–medium heat. Add the sliced oranges and simmer for 30–40 minutes or until they become translucent. Remove the slices from the pan and dry on a wire rack. Sprinkle with sugar crystals if desired or leave plain. Alternatively, if time is short, place orange slices on top of the cake before it goes in the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan bake). Grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt into a bowl. Whisk in the sugar and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta, orange zest and juice and vanilla.
4. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and combine. Fold in the browned butter, then the raspberries (saving a few for the top of the cake). Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake tin. Sprinkle the top with the pistachios and reserved raspberries. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals for a crunchy topping.
5. Bake for 50–60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Decorate with the candied orange slices and serve with a dollop of yoghurt.

*To brown the butter, heat it in a saucepan over a medium heat until it starts foaming, with light brown specks, and it starts to smell nutty. Remove from the heat and set aside until required.

Saffron Swirls & Cardamom Dust by Ashia Ismail-Singer, photography by Christall Lowe, published by Bateman Books, RRP$49.99, Release Date 15th October. To purchase check your local bookstore or any online retailers.