Pistachio Cake
This Pistachio Cake recipe has loads of freshly ground pistachios in the cake batter and is layered with a rich dark chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries.
Servings 12
Calories 750kcal
Ingredients
Chocolate Ganache Frosting: (make in advance)
- 20 oz good quality dark chocolate chopped, not bakers chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter very soft but not melted
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup finely ground pistachios *
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk room temperature
Assembly:
- fresh raspberries optional
- chopped pistachios
Instructions
Chocolate Ganache Frosting (make in advance):
- Place chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.
- Place cream into a medium saucepan. Cook over med heat, stirring often, until it just barely starts to simmer.
- Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Stir gently with a spatula until completely smooth. Add softened butter and stir until smooth. If needed, place over a double boiler and stir until all chocolate and butter has melted.
- Place plastic wrap directly on top of chocolate ganache. Allow to thicken and set overnight.**
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, ground pistachios, baking powder,and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for approx. 35-40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approx 2/3 cup of thickened ganache, spread evenly. Press cut raspberries into the ganache (I used about 12 halves per layer) and sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios (about 1 Tbsp). Repeat with next layer.
- Place last layer on top and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20mins. The ganache on the cake will firm up slightly.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining ganache. Do a swirl on top and use a decorative scraper to do the sides. I used the far left one pictured here.
- Press chopped pistachios into the bottom and sprinkle some more on top of the cake. Decorate with raspberries if desired.
Notes
* Pulse 1 cup of shelled, unsalted pistachios in a food processor until they are fine and powdery. Pass through a sifter and measure out 3/4 cup. Reserve remainder for sprinkling between layers.
** You can speed up the thickening of the ganache by placing the it in the fridge, but you need to stir it often.
** You can speed up the thickening of the ganache by placing the it in the fridge, but you need to stir it often.
Nutrition
Calories: 750kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 1020IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 6.9mg