Pistachio Raspberry Cake (Printable)
Moist pistachio cake studded with fresh raspberries and topped with creamy pistachio frosting.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
03 - 3 large eggs
04 - 1 cup shelled pistachios, finely ground
05 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
07 - ¼ teaspoon salt
08 - ½ cup whole milk
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Berries
10 - 1 ½ cups fresh raspberries, plus extra for garnish
→ Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting
11 - 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
13 - ⅔ cup powdered sugar
14 - ⅓ cup shelled pistachios, finely ground
15 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan, lining bottom with parchment paper.
02 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
04 - Whisk together ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl.
05 - Add dry mixture to butter mixture in three additions, alternating with milk in two additions. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
06 - Gently fold fresh raspberries into batter using spatula, taking care not to crush berries.
07 - Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing top surface. Bake 35-40 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center emerges clean.
08 - Let cake rest in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
09 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, ground pistachios, and vanilla extract. Mix until creamy and homogeneous.
10 - Spread frosting evenly over completely cooled cake. Garnish with additional fresh raspberries and chopped pistachios as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The ground pistachios create an incredibly tender crumb while adding that distinctive, almost pine-like sweetness you cant get from anything else
- Fresh raspberries turn into little jam pockets as they bake, their tartness cutting through the richness perfectly
02 -
- Overmixing once the flour is added will develop too much gluten, making your cake tough instead of tender—stop as soon as you see no dry flour
- Room temperature ingredients are not optional here, cold eggs or butter will cause the batter to curdle and seize up
03 -
- Grind your pistachios in short bursts with a little flour from the recipe to prevent them from turning into nut butter
- The zest of half a lemon added to the batter makes the raspberry flavor pop even more without making it a lemon cake