The underrated cake flavor that is bursting with a montage of flavors. There’s nothing artificial about this Pistachio Cake. It gets its amazing flavor from good old fashioned home cooking with real ingredients.
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This Pistachio Cake is one of those cakes that tastes just as good as it looks. Sometimes a cake will look real pretty but once you cut into it and take your first bite you realize it’s dry and crumbly. Or maybe the flavor just isn’t there. There was no issue with delicious flavor in this cake though.
How does this Pistachio Cake get it’s flavor?
Many Pistachio Cake recipes get there flavor from artificial ingredients. However, today I wanted a Pistachio Cake that got it’s flavor from real ingredients. Real ingredients like ground pistachios. I mean it is a pistachio cake after all. It should have pistachios in it don’t you think? Using freshly ground pistachios adds a delicate pistachio flavor to this cake. Then almond and vanilla extracts are added to give it an extra boost of flavor.
I’m pretty particular about my cake’s texture as well. I do not like a dry cake what so ever. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way. To make sure this Pistachio Cake was moist and delicious I decided to add a bit of sour cream. The added fat definitely did it’s job and the end result was one amazingly flavorful cake.
How do you make Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Have you ever made Swiss Meringue Buttercream? Swiss Meringue is a bit different than traditional Buttercream Frosting. It has a smoother texture and isn’t quite as sweet as traditional Buttercream Frosting.
Buttercream Frosting is made with butter and confectioner sugar as well as any other flavors that you want to add. It’s simple and quick to make and generally that’s what I make for most of my cakes.
Swiss Meringue is made by slowly heating egg whites and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Then the mixture is whipped until stiff peaks appear and the mixture has cooled. After that you add butter and any other flavors (in this case fresh raspberry puree).
Since Pistachio Cake has such a unique flavor I wanted to give it an equally unique frosting. The Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream was the perfect addition to complete the flavor profile of this cake. So many flavors that worked so perfectly together!
Pistachio Cake with Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Pistachio Cake
- 3 Cups Cake Flour
- 1 ,8 ounce bag Pistachos ,ground in a food processor
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 3/4 Cups Unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 Cups Sugar
- 5 Large Egg Whites
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 Cup Milk ,Room temperature
- Small amount Green food coloring ,optional, if using just add a 1-2 drops at a time until desired color is achieved
For the Raspberry Puree
- 2 ,6 ounce packages Fresh raspberries ,pureed and strained to removed seeds
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
For the Raspberry Swiss Merringue
- 1 1/4 Cups Sugar
- 4 Large Egg Whites
- 3 Sticks Unsalted butter ,softened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Raspberry Puree ,Remove 1/4 Cup of puree for topping cake, remainder gets added to buttercream
For the garnish
- chopped or ground pistachios ,optional
- Freeze dried raspberries or fresh raspberris ,optional
Instructions
For the Pistachio Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Line the bottom of three 8 inch pans with wax paper or parchment and grease and flour pans. Set aside.
- Pulse the pistachios in a food processor to produce fine crumbs. ** Just be careful not to blend so much that it turns into pistachio butter. Use 1 1/2 Cups of the ground pistachios in the cake. Set aside the leftover for garnishing the cake.
- In a large bowl whisk together, 1 1/2 cups of ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat butter and sugar together with hand held mixture on high speed for about 3 minutes scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. ( You can also use a stand mixer)
- Add egg whites and beat until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
- Beat in the sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until well combined.
- Add food coloring if using and mix until color is uniform.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed to incorporate. Continue to scrape sides and bottom of bowl periodically.
- Pour milk into the mixture and mix until smooth. Do not over mix.
- Pour batter evenly between your three pans. Place in preheated oven on center rack. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For the Raspberry puree
- Blend raspberries in blender or food processor to create a puree. Push through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
- Place your puree in a small saucepan with sugar and cook over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool completely to room temperature.
For the Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Add Egg whites and sugar to a medium sauce pan. Heat over medium heat stirring constantly with a whisk until sugar has completely dissolved. If you can rub the mixture between your fingers and no loner feel the gritty texture of the sugar, it's done.
- Pour mixture into the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until mixture has completely cooled and stiff peaks are formed. ** (Be sure it is completely cool or you will melt your butter when its added.)
- Add butter a tablespoon at a time. Mix on high until a spreadable consistency is achieved.
- Add all but 1/4 Cup of cooled Raspberry puree and mix to incorporate. Use a spatula to scrape sides and bottom of bowl periodically.
- Frost cooled cakes with buttercream and top with remaining 1/4 Cup of raspberry puree. Decorate with piped rosettes, ground pistachio and freeze dried raspberries or fresh raspberries.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Sugar Coated Cottage
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Pistachio Cake is now my new favorite cake flavor!
Can we potentially bake the cake in a taller single cake pan / spring form rather than 3? It is all we have at home.
Hi Jarrett, I’ve never tried this particular cake in a spring form pan. I’m not sure if the pan would be tall enough to handle the whole batch. I would say maybe just make sure when you fill your pan you don’t fill it over half full. The bake time will also be longer. Check it for done-ness after the written recipe time then you may need to pop it back in to continue baking until cooked through. I usually do this in 3-5 minute increments depending on how close it is until it’s done. Hope this helps. Let us know how it works out for you. Thanks and enjoy!
It turned out great. Awesome recipe, the raspberry puree really sets it off and the cake was very moist. Springform worked fine but as you said a longer bake.
I wouldn’t change a thing. I also think it would be delicious to sub ground cardamon for the almond extract but only as a change of pace. The almond worked great in this recipe.