Pistachio and pomegranate cakes

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease six 1¼-cup (310ml) straight-sided glass jars.

Process pistachios until fine. Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in ground nuts, sifted flour and buttermilk, in two batches. Tint mixture a pale green with food colouring. Divide mixture evenly into jars.

Place jars in large deep baking dish; pour enough boiling water into baking dish to come 3cm up the sides of jars. Cover with foil. Bake about 50 minutes. Remove jars from dish. Stand cakes in jars 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool. Wipe jars clean.

Make pomegranate syrup: strain pomegranate pulp (seeds and juice) over a medium bowl. Reserve the juice and half the seeds separately (discard remaining seeds). Place the juice and sugar in a small saucepan; stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Cool.

Make yoghurt cream: combine cream, yoghurt and sifted icing sugar in a medium bowl of an electric mixer; tint pink with food colouring (tint slightly darker than you want, as the colour will become slightly less intense once you whip it.) Beat mixture with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.