Little pistachio cakes

• lightly salted butter↗175g g

  really soft, plus extra for greasing

• plain flour↗75g g

  plus extra for dusting

• pistachios↗140g g

  plus a few, chopped, for scattering

• baking powder↗1 tsp tsp
• golden caster sugar↗175g g
• large eggs↗2
• vanilla extract↗2 tsp tsp
• milk↗2 tbsp tbsp
• tub full-fat cream cheese290g g
• lightly salted butter↗50g g

  softened

• icing sugar↗100g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease a 12-hole silicone muffin or friand mould, then dust with a little flour, and tip out the excess (a metal tray will work too, but line with muffin cases, as the mixture may stick). Put the pistachios in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped but not greasy. Add the remaining cake ingredients and blend again into a creamy mixture. Use 2 spoons to fill each hole of your tray 2/3 full, place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the mould for 10 mins, then run a knife around the edge of each cake and turn out onto a wire rack.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, make the icing. Using an electric hand whisk, blend 3 tbsp of the cream cheese with the butter until smooth, then add the remaining cream cheese and icing sugar. Whizz again until creamy, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle, and chill until ready to use.

3. 3

   When the cakes are cool, pipe spikes of icing on top of each one, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Can be made ahead – store the un-iced cakes in a sealed container for up to 3 days and chill the icing for 2 days.