Nadiya Hussain’s blackberry and pistachio loaf cake recipe

I love to forage for blackberries on my walks, and when I come across a particularly abundant patch, I usually wash and freeze them to use in smoothies. If I discover a really massive glut, they’ll be destined for jams that will last me throughout the colder months of the year.
Whatever the quantity I pick, I always save a small handful to use fresh in my favourite loaf cake, a simple yet delicious sponge topped off with yoghurt icing and crunchy toasted pistachios. The berries add a beautiful shot of colour when they bake and bleed into the batter and, with the lime zest, provide a lovely sharp, fresh zing.
• Nigella, Jamie Oliver and Rick Stein’s favourite summer recipes — and Nadiya’s, too
Serves 8-10
For the cake
• 200g unsalted butter, softened• 200g caster sugar• 4 medium eggs• 200g self-raising flour, sieved• 1½ tbsp cornflour• Zest of 2 limes (save the juice for the syrup below)• 125g fresh blackberries
For the syrup
• Juice of 2 limes (as above)• 25g caster sugar
For the yoghurt icing
• 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt• 50g icing sugar, sieved• Small handful of pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas 4. Line and grease a 23 x 10cm loaf tin. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
2. Add the soft unsalted butter to a bowl with the caster sugar and beat until the mixture is really light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one by one, making sure each egg is thoroughly incorporated.
4. Add the self-raising flour and 1 tbsp cornflour along with the lime zest and mix until the batter is thick and smooth.
5. Add the batter to the prepared pan and smooth over the top.
6. Add the blackberries to a bowl with the remaining ½ tbsp cornflour and toss until the blackberries are coated. Evenly distribute the berries on top of the batter.
7. Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 55-60 minutes.
8. While the cake bakes, make the syrup by adding the juice of 2 limes to a bowl with the caster sugar. Heat in a microwave just to dissolve the sugar crystals.
9. Take the cake out of the oven and drizzle the syrup all over. Leave the cake in the tin for 30 minutes before removing to cool completely on a rack.
10. For the yoghurt icing, add the Greek yoghurt to a bowl with the icing sugar and mix until you have a smooth texture. Drizzle all over the cooled cake, then sprinkle over the pistachios.