Pistachio, Honey, Orange, Olive Oil Cake with Thyme

This cake recipe came about through my friendship with wine and olive oil producers Frankland Estate. Of Middle Eastern heritage, using semolina in the cake batter provides a more dense yet open texture in the cake that soaks up the white wine and olive oil. Thyme is not a herb associated with sweet dishes however its flavour creates an interesting and complimentary element.

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Ingredients

(Serves 10)

200 g finely ground pistachios

200 g semolina

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

3 free-range eggs

2 oranges, the zest finely grated

210 g (2/3 cup) honey

200 ml Frankland Estate extra virgin olive oil

100 ml Frankland Estate white wine

2 tsp thyme leaves

Glaze:

1 tbsp white wine

1 cup icing sugar

¼ cup coarsely ground pistachios

1 tsp thyme leaves

Method

1. Line 2 x small or 1 x large loaf tin with baking paper. Preheat oven to 180˚ C.
2. Mix the finely ground pistachios, semolina, salt and baking powder together in a small bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs, orange zest and honey together until slightly thick and frothy.
4. Combine the white wine and olive oil in a jug.
5. Beat in the ground pistachio mixture together with the olive oil mixture and 2 teaspoon of thyme leaves to make a smooth wet batter. Pour into tin or tins and bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 150˚C and bake a further 40 minutes.
6. Place on a wire cooling rack and leave to cook in the tin or tins.
7. To make the glaze, stir the tablespoon of white wine into the icing sugar in a small bowl. Add a little extra wine if needed to make a glaze with the thickness of rich pouring cream. Spoon over the top or tops of the cake and sprinkle over the ¼ cup coarsely ground pistachio and teaspoon of thyme leaves.