This tender, light cake sandwiched with a rich lemon cream is delicious with a cup of coffee, but it’s so pretty that it’s perfect for a special occasion as well.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

For the cake:

• 55 g/2 oz shelled pistachios
• 170 g/6 oz butter, at room temperature
• 170 g/6 oz caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 110 g/4 oz self-raising flour

For the filling:

• 2½ tablespoons lemon curd
• 120 ml/4 fl oz sour cream

For the icing:

• 1 egg white
• 150 g/5½ oz icing sugar, sifted
• ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
• Green food coloring
• White sugared flowers and silver dragees to decorate

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Grease two 20-cm/8-inch round cake tins, and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper. Finely grind the pistachio nuts in a food processor, then set aside. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the ground pistachios, then sift the flour on top and fold in. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tins and spread out evenly using the back of the spoon.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and the cake springs back when pressed ligtly with the tips of your fingers. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. To make the filling, stir together the lemon curd and sour cream until thoroughly combined. Spread evenly over one cake layer, then top with the second layer.

Gradually whisk the icing sugar into the egg white until thick and glossy, then beat in the lemon juice. Add a few drops of food coloring to make the icing a pretty shade of pistachio green, then pour it over the cake. Decorate with sugared flowers and dragees, and serve.