Best Pistachio Layer Cake Recipes

PISTACHIO LAYER CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line each pan with a round piece of parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.
• Prepare the cake: pulse pistachios in a food processor until finely ground, 10 to 15 pulses. Transfer 1 1/2 cups ground pistachios to a bowl with flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; whisk until well combined and set aside. Place remaining ground pistachios, about 1 1/3 cups, in a bowl and reserve for finishing the cake.
• Beat butter and white sugar for cake in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg whites and beat on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
• Mix in sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract until combined, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture in batches on low speed until completely incorporated, about 2 minutes. Mix in milk and food coloring until just combined, about 1 minute.
• Divide batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Gently tap each pan on the countertop to spread and flatten batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each pan removes cleanly, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen cakes, then invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• While the cakes are cooling, prepare buttercream: beat cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in powdered sugar in 1/2-cup increments on medium-low speed, allowing sugar to be completely incorporated before adding more, until combined, about 4 minutes. Mix in vanilla and food coloring on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Top with 1 cup buttercream and 1 tablespoon ground pistachios, and spread evenly over the surface using a spatula. Place second cake layer on top; top with 1 cup buttercream and 1 tablespoon ground pistachios, and spread evenly over the surface. Place third cake layer on top, and spread 1 cup buttercream evenly over the surface. Spread 2 cups buttercream evenly around sides of assembled cake and smooth with a spatula. Transfer cake to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
• Remove cake from the refrigerator and spread remaining buttercream over top and sides of cake until sides are smooth and top is billowy. Using a small offset spatula, make a spiral pattern on top of the cake. Press remaining ground pistachios into sides of the cake.
• Slice and serve immediately or chill in an airtight container until ready to serve. If chilled, allow cake to come to room temperature before serving.

PISTACHIO LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk in two batches.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake until tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto a wire rack, remove parchment, reinvert, and let cool completely. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they're level.
• Stir together pastry cream and 1/3 cup buttercream. Spread pastry-cream mixture over one cake layer and top with second cake layer, cut-side down. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread about 1 cup of buttercream in a thin layer on top of sides of cake (to prevent crumbs from pulling through final layer of frosting; it's okay if crumb coating is uneven, as it will be covered up later). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Frost cake with remaining buttercream and refrigerate until icing is firm, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
• Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter to mark an overlapping circle pattern around top edge of cake. Place royal icing in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #2). Pipe overlapping circles, using markings as a guide. Use a small damp brush to correct any wobbly piping. Cake can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 day; bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving.

PISTACHIO NUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pulse pistachios in a food processor until finely ground.
• Sift flour into a bowl. Combine milk, almond extract, salt, and vanilla extract in a second bowl. Combine vinegar and baking soda in a third bowl.
• Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in pistachios. Add flour, alternating with the milk mixture, beating batter briefly after each addition. Gently fold vinegar mixture in to the batter; do not stir at this point. Pour batter into two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes, before frosting with your choice of frosting.

SEMOLINA PISTACHIO LAYER CAKE (BOHSALINI)

Steps:

• Mix the melted butter and semolina in a medium bowl, and set aside at room temperature for at least 6 hours or as long as overnight.
• Pour the milk into a large pot and bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. When the milk rises to the top of the pot, stir in the lemon juice and remove the pot from the heat. Set it aside to cool until the milk separates, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Pour the milk through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, stirring to release the whey. Discard the whey. Transfer the curds in the strainer to a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons rose water and the orange-blossom water with a wooden spoon. The kashta should look like small-curd cottage cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Kashta will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.)
• Combine the sugar, pistachios, and remaining 1 tablespoon rose water in a food processor and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of coarse sand. Add the pistachio mixture to the flour mixture, and using your hands, mix them together, breaking up the lumps until the mixture feels like damp sand.
• Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with wax paper, using two pieces crossing at right angles and allowing lengths of paper to hang over the sides of the pan. Spoon half of the semolina mixture into the pan and smooth it out to the edges with the back of the spoon. Follow with all of the kashta, spreading it over the semolina in an even layer. Spoon the remaining semolina mixture on top and spread it out in an even layer. Fold the overhanging wax paper over the top, and press to smooth the semolina. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Pour the olive oil into a skillet that is large enough to accommodate the nuts in a single layer. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the nuts, reduce the heat to low, and stir actively until they begin to darken slightly, about 1 minute (see Tips, below). Remove the pan from the heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the nuts to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (Alternatively, dump the nuts into a medium-mesh sieve set over a container to catch the cooking oil.) Let them cool completely. (Fried nuts can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 3 months.)
• One hour before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator, invert it onto a serving plate, and release it from the pan. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on top: Hold a fine-mesh sieve over the cake, pour the powdered sugar into it, and gently tap the rim to release the sugar. Garnish with the nuts, and serve in wedges.

BASIC BUTTERCREAM FOR PISTACHIO LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, until combined, 1 to 2 minutes total. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium.) Beat in vanilla until smooth.
• Add food coloring, a little at a time, to achieve desired color. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days. To use, bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth.

ROYAL ICING FOR PISTACHIO LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir egg white vigorously with rubber spatula until frothy. Add confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, stirring until smooth, until icing is thick and pipeable. Adjust consistency with additional sugar or water by the drop. Icing can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before using.