Pistachio Raspberry Cake (Moist Layer Cake with Buttercream & Jam)
This delightful Pistachio Raspberry Cake combines moist pistachio sponge layers with a rich pistachio buttercream and fruity raspberry jam. Finished with fresh raspberries, chopped pistachios, and mint sprigs, it’s a perfect balance of nutty and sweet flavors in an elegant dessert.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the cake:
- 250 g unsalted butter, softened (16 tablespoons or 2 sticks + 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 240 g golden caster sugar (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 150 g plain flour (1 cup + 1/4 scant cup)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 100 g shelled pistachios (3/4 cup)
For the buttercream:
- 175 g softened unsalted butter (13 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)
- 280 g sifted icing sugar (2 + 1/3 cups)
- 2 tbsp smooth pistachio cream
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
To decorate:
- 3 tbsp raspberry jam
- 250 g fresh raspberries (roughly 2 cups)
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped pistachios
- Sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional/355°F. Grease and line two 20 cm (8 inch) loose-based round cake tins with non-stick baking paper; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment to cream together softened butter and golden caster sugar for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is light in color, smooth, and mousse-like. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Add Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, whisking each thoroughly until the batter is completely smooth before adding the next.
- Prepare Pistachios and Dry Ingredients: Using a food processor or blender, grind the shelled pistachios into a fine crumb, similar to almond meal texture. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the salt and ground pistachios to the sifted mixture.
- Fold Dry Ingredients: Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Divide Batter and Bake: Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared tins and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in their tins for 15 minutes.
- Cool Cakes: Turn cakes out onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. Note that the green pistachio color on the outside may fade slightly but will remain vibrant inside.
- Prepare Buttercream: In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sifted icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Add pistachio cream, sea salt, and lemon juice; beat again. Taste and adjust lemon juice if needed.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cooled cake layer on a flat plate. Spoon buttercream into a piping bag and pipe half onto the cake’s surface evenly. Spread raspberry jam gently on top of the buttercream with a palette knife, avoiding edges to prevent spilling.
- Top and Finish: Place the second cake layer on top. Pipe or spread the remaining buttercream over the top layer evenly.
- Decorate: Garnish the cake with fresh raspberries, sprigs of fresh mint, and chopped pistachios. Serve and enjoy your elegant pistachio raspberry cake!
Notes
- The green pistachio color on the cake surface may fade after baking but the flavor and color inside remain vibrant.
- Ensure the raspberry jam layer is not too close to cake edges to avoid seepage during assembly.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before applying buttercream to prevent melting.
- Use a piping bag for an even and neat buttercream layer between the cake layers.
- Fresh mint sprigs add a refreshing aroma and visual appeal but can be omitted if unavailable.