Matcha & pistachio cake

Preheat the oven to 170˚C, gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins (or 1 deep 20cm cake tin). Use a food processor to pulse the pistachios until finely chopped; be careful not to over-whizz or they will turn into a paste. You are looking for a dry, powdery texture with some chunks. Pass through a sieve to separate the chunks (about 120g) from the fine powder (about 30g); set both aside.

In a bowl, mix the flour, matcha powder, baking powder and salt together; set aside. Using a freestanding mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, oil and vanilla extract together, then add to the creamed butter mixture and continue to beat until smooth.

Stir in ½ the flour mixture, then gradually add the milk. Fold in the remaining flour mixture, followed by the chopped pistachios (reserve the fine powder for decorating). Pour the mixture into the prepared tins and bake for 30 minutes (or 1 hour-1 hour 5 minutes if using a large tin), until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the icing. In a freestanding mixer or using electric beaters, beat the butter, vinegar, vanilla and almond extracts and a pinch of salt. Add the cream and ½ the icing sugar; beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining icing sugar. Set aside and re-whip before icing the cake if it appears a little stiff (if it’s very stiff, add a little extra cream).

If you’ve baked one big cake, use a serrated knife to carefully cut the cake into 2 layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread over 1/3 of the filling and top with the other cake. Use the remaining filling to ice the top and sides of the cake. To finish, loosely dust the top with the reserved pistachio powder. If you have any remaining icing, you can pipe it onto the top of the cake.