Pistachio Cake with Cinnamon Icing
My pistachio cake with nutty cake layer, paired with a cinnamon cream cheese icing, is sure to be a crowd pleasing cake!
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Yield: 12 slices
Equipment
- 3 8" cake tins
Ingredients
Pistachio Cake
- 250 g pistachios shelled
- 300 g cake flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 113 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 350 g granulated sugar
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 egg whites room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- green food coloring optional
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 55 g sour cream room temperature
Cinnamon Icing
- 500 g cream cheese 2 blocks, room temperature
- 113 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 480 g confectioners' sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Place pistachios in a single layer on a baking sheet, and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes.250 g pistachios
- Pistachio cake:Turn oven temperature up to 350°F. Grease and line 3-8" cake tins with parchment paper.
- Grind pistachios into a powder (not a paste). Measure out 165g (1 1/2 cups) of ground pistachios. Set any remaining aside for garnish.
- Sift together dry ingredients -- flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon -- then stir in the 165g (1 1/2 cups) of pistachios in a medium bowl.300 g cake flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together butter and sugar on high until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.113 g unsalted butter, 350 g granulated sugar
- Add in oil and thoroughly mix for one minute. Add eggs in one at a time on low speed. Add vanilla and almond extracts and 2-3 drops of food coloring if using.1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons almond extract, green food coloring
- Alternating dry-wet-dry-wet-dry ingredients, slowly add in 1/3 of the dry mixture. Once almost fully mixed, add 1/2 of the milk. Repeat until all flour and milk is nearly incorporated.1 cup whole milk
- With a rubber spatula, stir in sour cream and incorporate any remaining streaks of flour.55 g sour cream
- Divide between the cake tins, bake for 23-27 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and cakes spring back to the touch.
- Cinnamon Icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter with paddle until softened, about 5 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.500 g cream cheese, 113 g unsalted butter
- Slowly add confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and salt.480 g confectioners' sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add vanilla and milk depending on preferred thinness of icing.2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- Assembly: Trim top of cakes if desired, spread icing evenly throughout each layer. Top with pistachios, blackberries, raspberries, white chocolate chips etc.
Notes
- Cake layers can be prepared a day in advance and wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Store leftover cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.