10-12 servings; 10 min preparation; 40 min cooking time

If you like complex flavors, this might be the perfect cake for you. It might seem like it’s a combination of many flavors that don’t make sense, I can assure you that everything will make perfect sense at the end. You will be able to proof the different layers of the cake. It’s moist, complex and very exotic, but not overly sweet.

It’s most delicious when it’s completely soaked with the syrup. The syrup is so yummy by itself, but combined with the rest of the ingredients, it brings harmony. I would safe a little bit of the syrup and pour immediately before serving. It will make your piece of cake so moist and irresistible.

Ingredients

for the batter:

• 1/4tsp salt 
• 16 g baking powder
• 140 g all-purpose flour
• 250 g semolina flour
• 5 eggs
• 300 ml orange juice
• 140 ml rice oil
• 50 g sugar 
• 100 g shredded coconut 
• 1 tsp lemon zest 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 150 g pistachios 

for the syrup:

• 150 ml water 
• 150 ml orange juice 
• 100 g sugar 
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/360 degrees F.

Put the pistachios on a baking tray and roast them until they get some color. Be careful not the burn them. Take them from the oven, but the don’t switch the oven  off.

Beat the eggs in a big bowl. Add rice oil and orange juice. Add the coconut and sugar. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

In another bowl mix both flours, baking powder and salt. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Whisk until fully incorporated. Continue with the other 2/3 in two parts. You may switch to a spatula at one point, because the batter gets thicker.

Chop the roasted pistachios roughly. It’s okay if you have big chunks of pistachio left, it gives texture to the cake. Add 2/3 of the nuts to the batter. Transfer the batter to a greased baking or muffin form. Put the remaining 1/3 of the pistachio on top of the cake. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 min or until the toothpick comes clean.

Syrup: Add sugar, water and orange juice in a small sauce pan and bring to the boil. Add ground cardamom. When it starts bubbling hard, remove from the heat and set aside to cool down.

When the cake is ready pour the syrup over the cake. You may need to cut the cake first so that the syrup soak completely. Leave aside for a while. Enjoy!