Stand mixers
For the cake:150g butter, softened150g caster sugar4 eggs80g plain flour1.5tsp baking powder100g pistachios, finely ground70g ground almonds2tsp orange flower waterFor the frosting:250g mascarpone50g caster sugar1 tsp orange flower water½ tsp vanilla extractSlivered pistachios and candied orange slices to decorate, optional
1- Preheat your oven to 170C, and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. 2- Fit your Kenwood Chef kitchen machine with the creaming beater, and add the butter and sugar to the bowl. 3- Set the machine to a low speed, then slowly increase to a medium high speed, and cream together the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy, for around 5 minutes. 4- Crack one egg into the bowl, and add a spoonful of the flour to stop the batter from curdling. Beat the mixture together for 30 seconds, until fully combined, then repeat with each of the remaining eggs, adding a spoonful of flour with each egg. 5- Once the final egg has been mixed in, sift in the remaining flour and baking powder. Change the bowl tool for the K beater, and set the machine to a low speed until the flour is just combined. 6- Add the ground pistachios and almonds and again mix on a low speed until just combined. 7- Finally, add the orange flour water, and briefly mix on a low speed. 8- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. 9- Bake in the preheated oven for 45mins-1hr, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.10- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before lifting out of the tin onto a cooling rack.11- Whilst the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting.12- Into the clean bowl of your kitchen machine, fitted with the creaming beater, add all of the frosting ingredients, and beat together on a medium speed, until fluffy and smooth.13- Once the cake is completely cool, top with the frosting, and decorate with slivered pistachios and candied orange slices.