Spice up your life!

I was on group meeting this week and so felt the necessity to bake. I have unintentionally built up a reputation of bringing in yummy baked delights whenever I am on, so now am starting to feel the pressure of providing "good food". I like to experiment with the cakes/slices/biscuits I bring in - trying new recipes and adapting rather than staying with the tried and true. I found this recipe in my Delicious magazine (a cooking mag I've had a subscription for for a a couple of years) and have been waiting for a chance to try it out! The cake is very tasty, the combination of spices works well, it is not particularly "zucchini-y", which provides a richness and moistness to the cake rather than a distinct flavour. The frosting is quite decadent and you could cut back on the amount of butter to make it lighter, the lime gives it a great zing - just the thing to keep your work colleagues awake whilst you bore them with your work! Sorry I forgot to take a picture, so you will have to make it yourself to see what it looks like!

Zucchini & pistachio spice cake with lime frosting
Serves 10-12 (From Delicious Magazine – February 2007)

Cake
¾ cup (185 mL) sunflower oil
1 cup (220 g) caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (75 g) unsalted pistachios, finely chopped, plus ¼ cup (35 g) slivered* unsalted pistachios to decorate
½ cup (60 g) almond meal
2 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium sized)
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground mixed spice
½ tsp bicarbonate soda
1½ cups (225 g) self-raising flour
½ cup (75 g) plain flour

Lime frosting
180 g unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups (200 g) icing sugar, sifted
250 g cream cheese, softened, chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 170 °C. Grease a 22 cm spring-form pan and line base and sides with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer with whisk attachment beat the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla until thick. Stir in nuts, meal, zucchini and spices. Sift over soda and flours, and stir to combine. Pour into pan and bake for 70 min or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 min, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.
3. For frosting, use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With motor running, gradually add cheese, beating well between additions. Add zest and beat until smooth
4. Using a bread knife, slice the cake into two rounds and set aside top. Spread a third of the frosting over the bottom half, replace the top and spread cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with slivered pistachios.

* Slivered pistachios are from gourmet food shops and delis.