Greek-style honey & pistachio drizzle cake

I originally saw a version of this cake in Jamie does …, but when I made it, I decided it needed more honey! Sorry Jamie, I’m afraid I have an incredibly sweet tooth. This is why I have also added the citrus juice as well as zest, because it cuts through the sweetness a bit, making it not too sickly.

The news of recent years that honeybees are in decline really scares me; I LOVE honey! Can you imagine a world with no honey cake or honey on walnut bread toast? Or what about a world where you can’t have a hot honey and lemon when you’re full of cold in winter? To me it just doesn’t bear thinking about, but scientists are on to it and you can read about how to help (in my best air-hostess voice) here, here and here.

Greek-style honey and pistachio drizzle cake

To serve 12 (usually I would baulk at this high serving number because I would feel stingy, however, with the sides this number is fine).

This cake is REALLY easy too, which is always a bonus.

The sponge ingredients:

Runny honey – 100ml
Greek yoghurt – 225ml
Caster sugar – 225g
Semolina – 200g
Plain flour – 150g
Mild olive oil – 100ml
Ground almonds – 75g
Eggs – 5
Baking powder – 2 level teaspoons
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

The drizzle/topping ingredients:

Runny honey – 100ml
Shelled pistachios – 150g
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

Punnet of fresh strawberries, and either greek yoghurt or strawberries and clotted cream ice cream to serve.

The cake recipe: 

  • Preheat your oven to 170°C/Gas 3.
  • Mix ALL (yes, you have read that right: ALL) of the sponge ingredients in a bowl.
  • Grease your cake tin*
  • Pour your cake batter into the cake tin, and place in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, until the cake is golden and a skewer comes out clean.

cake mix

cake batter

The cake mix starts like wet sand when you’re paddling at the beach, and then turns into quite a runny batter; it will work!

The drizzle/topping recipe:

  • Add ALL of the drizzle/topping ingredients to a saucepan, and bring to the boil. 
  • Once the cake is ready, stab it all over with a skewer, and drizzle the goodness over the top.
  • Serve with the sides, indulge and enjoy 🙂

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TASTE THIS; IT WILL BURN YOUR TONGUE!

*Jamie’s recipe says use a 22cm – 29cm rectangular one, but I don’t have one of those, so used my 20cm round one and baked it a little longer at a lower temperature. It worked fine.

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