Pistachio Cake

Categories:

Cakes & Cupcakes
dessert
layered cake
afternoon tea
dessert
white sugar

Bring the pistachio out of it’s shell in a creamy, silky showstopper…

A stand out in both looks and taste, these lovely green layers boast a subtly nutty flavour and a healthy helping of pistachio, almond and meringue buttercream!

Prep Time
1
hours
Cook Time
45
minutes
Pistachio Cake without product
Ingredients
Yields
12
For the Pistachio Cake

 

  • 227g Butter
  • 400g Tate & Lyle’s White Sugar
  • 375g All-purpose Flour 
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 115g Sour Cream
  • 240ml Milk
  • 6 tbsp Pistachio Paste
  • 2 tbsp Almond Extract
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 80g Pistachios (chopped)
For the Frosting

 

  • 1 batch Italian Meringue Buttercream
  • 2 tbsp Pistachio Paste
  • 1 tsp Almond Extract
Instructions
Make the Pistachio Cake

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C and line two 8 inch cake pans
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  3. Add eggs and beat until combined
  4. Add sour cream and beat until combined
  5. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add a third of it to the batter, mix in slowly until fully incorporated
  6. Add half the milk and mix in until fully incorporated. Repeat with another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour
  7. Add the pistachio paste and extracts and stir in until fully incorporated
  8. If you want to add a touch of green colour to the sponge, add a drop of colouring now, though it's beautiful without
  9. Lastly, stir the chopped pistachios into the batter - make these as fine or as chunky as you'd like
  10. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
Make the Frosting

 

  1. Once the cake is cooled, start the frosting. Follow my instructions for Italian Meringue Buttercream
  2. Once the frosting is ready, whip in the pistachio paste and almond extract - add more or less according to taste
Fill and Decorate

 

  1. Level the cakes and cut each cake in half to make four even layers
  2. Stack the layers, filling an even layer of pistachio Italian meringue buttercream in between each one
  3. Cover the entire top and sides in buttercream and decorate how you like, I just used a palette knife to create little waves in the frosting - I like how that looks with Italian meringue buttercream as it's so glossy!
  4. Top with some chopped pistachios of varying sizes