Description
This luscious pistachio cake with rose water frosting is a delightful Persian-inspired dessert combining nutty flavors and floral notes. The cake is moist and tender, enriched with ground pistachios and aromatic cardamom, and topped with a fluffy, fragrant rose water buttercream. Perfect for special occasions or when you want a unique and elegant treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups (400 grams) cake flour, sifted
- 5 teaspoons (25 grams) baking powder
- 3/4 to 1 cup (90 grams) roasted pistachios, unsalted
- 2 cups (400 grams) sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup minus 1 heaped tablespoon (210 grams) soft butter
- 4 medium eggs (200 grams), room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (300 grams) milk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla extract
- 2-3 drops green food coloring, optional
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 250 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 4-5 cups (500-625 grams) confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted (adjust to preference)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons rose water (or to taste)
- 3-4 drops pink food coloring
- Some chopped pistachios for decoration
Additional
- Two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans, greased and lined with baking paper
- Wet cake/towel strips for cake pans
Instructions
- Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with baking paper and wrap them with wet cake or towel strips to ensure even baking.
- Grind Pistachios: Using a food processor, combine one cup of flour, one cup of sugar, and the roasted pistachios. Process until finely ground, which helps prevent the nuts from turning pasty and ensures a smooth texture in the cake.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sifted flour, ground pistachio mixture, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cardamom. Mix on low speed for 10-20 seconds until well combined.
- Add Butter: Add the soft butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand, ensuring an even distribution of fat.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a jug, whisk together the milk, vanilla extract, and eggs just to break down the eggs. Add about three-quarters of this liquid to the mixer bowl and beat on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway to lighten and fluff the batter.
- Finish Batter: Add the remaining wet ingredients to the mixer and beat for 30 seconds until fully combined. If using, add green food coloring and mix well until evenly distributed.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Once baked, invert the cakes onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- Make Buttercream: Beat the softened butter and 3 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat for 3-4 minutes until very fluffy. Add salt, vanilla extract, pink food coloring, and two tablespoons rose water. Beat again to combine. Adjust the sweetness and rose water amount to your taste by adding more sugar or rose water until desired consistency and flavor are achieved.
- Assemble Cake: Once the cakes are completely cooled, spread the rose water buttercream evenly over one cake layer. Place the second layer on top and frost the entire cake. Decorate with chopped pistachios for a beautiful finishing touch.
Notes
- Baking the cakes with wet towel strips wrapped around the pans helps prevent the edges from baking too quickly, ensuring an even and moist crumb.
- Ground pistachios mixed with flour and sugar before adding to the batter help prevent the nuts from releasing oils and becoming pasty, keeping the texture light.
- You can adjust the amount of rose water in the frosting to control its floral intensity according to your preference.
- If green or pink food coloring is not available, the food coloring can be omitted without affecting the flavor.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute cake flour with a gluten-free flour blend suitable for cakes, adjusting the leavening as needed.
- Store the cake refrigerated due to the buttercream frosting, and bring it to room temperature before serving for best taste and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 639 kcal
- Sugar: 56 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 75 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
