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Rose Pistachio Cake

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A light and fluffy pistachio cake infused with cardamom and topped with a fragrant rosewater buttercream, a modern take on the Persian love cake.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 ⅓ cups (400 g) cake flour, sifted
  • 5 tsp (25 g) baking powder
  • ¾–1 cup (90 g) roasted unsalted pistachios
  • 2 cups (400 g) sugar
  • ¾ tsp fine salt
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 cup minus 1 tbsp (210 g) unsalted butter, soft
  • 4 medium eggs (200 g), room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups (300 g) milk, room temperature
  • 2 tsp (10 g) vanilla extract
  • 2–3 drops green food coloring (optional)
  • 1 cup (250 g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 4–5 cups (500–625 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • 2–3 Tbsp rose water (to taste)
  • 3–4 drops pink food coloring (optional)
  • Chopped pistachios, for decorating
  • Two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease and line two 8-inch round pans, then wrap with wet cake–towel strips to bake evenly.
  2. In a food processor, pulse together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and the pistachios until they resemble a fine meal (this prevents nuts from turning pasty).
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sifted flour, baking powder, ground pistachios, sugar, salt and cardamom. Mix briefly, then add the soft butter and blend on low until the mixture looks like wet sand.
  4. Whisk together the milk, vanilla and eggs in a jug. Add three-quarters of this wet mixture to the mixer and beat on medium-high for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl once. Add the rest, beat 30 seconds more, then stir in food coloring if using.
  5. Divide the batter between the pans and bake 40–50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Invert cakes onto a rack and let cool completely.
  6. For the buttercream, beat softened butter with 3½ cups sugar on low until incorporated, then increase to high and whip 3–4 minutes until very fluffy. Add salt, vanilla, pink coloring and 2 Tbsp rose water; beat to combine and adjust sugar or rose water to taste.
  7. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread with buttercream, top with the second layer, frost the top and sides, and decorate with chopped pistachios.

Notes

  • Bring all ingredients to room temperature to ensure proper emulsification and a tender crumb.
  • Weigh ingredients for maximum accuracy and consistent results.
  • If only large eggs are available, use 3 whole eggs plus 1 egg white.

Nutrition

Keywords: pistachio, rosewater, cardamom, Persian love cake, buttercream

Find it online: https://zesticook.com/rose-pistachio-cake/