Persian Love Cake

Ingredients:

• 360g ground almonds
• 220g raw sugar
• 220g brown sugar
• 120g unsalted butter, softened
• Pinch salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbspn of freshly-ground nutmeg
• 250g Greek-style thick natural yoghurt
• Plus extra yoghurt to serve
• 100g pistachio kernels, split

Method:

1. preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
2. Put almond meal, both types of sugar and the butter into a bowl
3. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s evenly incorporated; the mixture should be crumbly, but able to be compressed into a ball.
4. Split the mixture in half.
5. Press one half evenly into the base of a 26cm spring form cake tin which has been lined with baking paper and greased.
6. Add nutmeg, 250g yoghurt, and two eggs to the remaining half mixture. Beat well until it is all smooth and creamy.
7. Pour the mixture on top of the base in the tin.
8. Arrange the split pistachio kernels in a pattern – maybe in a thick ring around the edge.
9. Bake 40-50 minutes in a 180C oven. It’s done when the top is a nice deep brown, and the edges look caramelized.
10. Serve with more yoghurt.