Pistachio, yoghurt and cardamom cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Coat a 21 x 11cm Bundt tin with cooking spray and set aside. Grind the pistachios and cardamom in a food mixer fitted with the metal blade until coarsely chopped. Replace the metal blade with the plastic blade. Add the butter, flour and castor sugar, and mix until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and yoghurt, and mix thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack to cool.

To make the syrup: Cut the lemon into long thin strips. Place the castor sugar and water in a small, heavybased saucepan and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Add the rind and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the rind and reserve. Set aside the syrup to cool. Place the cake on a serving plate, pierce the top with a skewer and pour the syrup over.

To make the frosting: Heat the milk and cream in a small, heavybased saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Mix the egg yolks, castor sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl and beat until light and creamy in colour. Add the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat, stirring continuously using a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not boil or the mixture will curdle. Remove from the heat. Serve slices of cake drizzled with the frosting.