Cream cheese icing is the best thing ever. Sadly, it’s very rare you come across a nice gluten free cake when you’re out and about never mind a nice gluten free cake topped with loads of cream cheese icing. Nevermind, when the craving hits all you need is this recipe!  

For the cake: 

250g unsalted butter (room temperature)

200g caster sugar

4 large eggs

100g ground almonds

100g ground pistachio nuts (shelled, unsalted)

70g plain gluten free flour

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

For the icing: 

50g unsalted butter (room temperature)

300g icing sugar

125g cream cheese (cold)

50g broken unsalted pistachio nuts

 

Method: 

1. Preheat your oven to gas mark 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4 and prepare a loaf-style baking tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl. I use an electric whisk throughout.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. If you are using whole pistachios grind (in a food processor for about 90 seconds or with a pestle and mortar) until coarsely ground.
5. Add the ground pistachios, ground almonds, baking powder and flour into the egg mixture and mix well.
6. Pour the cake mix into the tin, and bake for 40 – 50 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick into the centre comes out clean.
7. While the cake is cooling, make the icing.
8. In a bowl combine the butter, cheese and sugar and beat well until smooth.
9. Roughly chop your pistachios.
10. Once the cake is cool ice and crumble the pistachios over the top.
11. YUM.