Pistachio and yoghurt cake

I have been acting for almost 15 years. In a few days, my parents who are coming to visit The Man and I in London (yeah!), will see me act on stage for the first time. 
I have acted in front of journalists, ambassadors, and all sorts of important people over the years, but I have never been as nervous as I am now.
Funny how our need for recognition from the ones we love is more important than anything else.
Wish me luck!

Pistachio and yoghurt cake

I love pistachio and am often disappointed when I cook or bake with it because I always wish the resulting dish tasted stronger of pistachio. Contrary to almond or walnut, pistachio does have quite a subtle flavour.
However, this cake is really moist and light, and frankly quite lovely.

For the sponge: 
2 x 150 g pots of natural yoghurt
100g pistachio kernels, unsalted
1 x 150 g yoghurt pot of caster sugar
1 x 150 g yoghurt pot of sunflower oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten 
2 x 150 g yoghurt pots of plain flour 
2 tsp baking powder 
½ tsp sea salt

Method:

1/ Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 20cm cake tin then lightly dust it with flour.

2/ Empty the contents of the yoghurt pots into a bowl, then wash and dry them ready to measure the remaining ingredients. 

3/ Reduce the pistachios to a fine powder in a food mixer. 

4/ In a large bowl, whisk the caster sugar and oil with an electric hand whisk for 2 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla extract.

5/ Fold in the yoghurt, then add the flour, baking powder, salt and ground pistachios and gently fold them in. 

6/ Spoon the batter into the tin. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out just clean. Leave to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely before eating. If you wish, you can lightly dust it with icing sugar, or coat it with icing.

 

Recipe from Rachel Koo