Method (cakes)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line three 8 inch loose base / push up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you don’t have 3 cake tins you will have to bake the cakes separately. Just cover the unused batter with a damp tea towel until you’re ready to use it.
2. In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’. You can whisk in a drop of green food gel, this will help give a subtle green colour to the cake but this is completely optional.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, chopped pistachios, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
4. Add the oil and pistachio butter into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
6. Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins. Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
7. Pop the cakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know they are done when you put a knife or skewer in to the centre of the cake and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.
8. Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before removing them from the tins. Leave the cakes to cool fully on the cooling rack.  Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting.

Method (buttercream)

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and add in the chopped nuts and pistachio butter. Whip on high speed for around 5-8 minutes to incorporate it. Add a splash of dairy-free milk if needed. If the buttercream is too thick, add some more chunks of cold butter. if it’s too soft, add more icing sugar. You want it smooth, creamy and airy.
3. Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Dollop or pipe some of the buttercream on top and spread out until even using an off-set spatula or pallet knife.
4. Drizzle some pistachio butter over the top of the buttercream, then place the second cake layer on top. Press it down gently so it sticks, repeat for the third cake. Coat the whole cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This creates a crumb coat.
5. Place the cake into the fridge to set for 15-20 minutes. You want the buttercream to be firm, this will make the final coat and applying the decorations easier.
6. Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a second/final coat, this time making it thicker, then using a cake scraper to make the edges of cake smooth.
7. Use the back of a spoon or end of an off-set spatula to create a fun design to the sides of the cake by dragging the buttercream in an upwards motion (see video for visual reference here).

Method (pistachio cream)

1. Melt the dairy-free white chocolate either in the microwave or on the hob using a bain-marie. Mix in the pistachio butter.
2. Drizzle this over the top of the cake, in a puddle and spread out.
3. While it’s still wet, sprinkle some roughly chopped pistachio nuts around the outer edge of the cake. Chill the cake until ready to serve.
4. Use a shark knife to cut the cake into slices, serve and enjoy! As the white chocolate may set when chilled, it’s best to warm up the knife in some warm water, wipe dry then slice the cake, this’ll help cut through the chocolate neatly.