Pistachio Cake With Buttercream Frosting (Printable View)

Moist pistachio cake layered with creamy buttercream frosting, perfect for special occasions

# What You Need:

→ Pistachio Cake

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→ Pistachio Buttercream Frosting

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# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a food processor, finely grind 1 1/2 cups pistachios. Set aside.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
06 - Mix in the ground pistachios until evenly distributed.
07 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Add sour cream and mix until just combined.
08 - Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - For the buttercream, process 1 cup pistachios until very finely ground or beginning to form a paste.
11 - In a mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add the pistachio paste and mix well.
12 - Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
13 - Once cakes are cooled, spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides. Decorate with extra chopped pistachios if desired.

# Expert Advice:

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  • The buttercream is basically what pistachio dreams are made of, rich and nutty without being cloyingly sweet like some frostings
  • This cake manages to be sophisticated enough for dinner parties but homey enough that people go back for seconds without hesitation
  • The texture hits this perfect balance between dense and tender, with little specks of pistachio throughout that keep every bite interesting
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  • Room temperature ingredients aren't just a suggestion, they're the difference between a tender cake and a tough one. Cold butter creates lumps, cold eggs can seize your batter, and both lead to uneven baking.
  • Letting the cakes cool completely before frosting is non-negotiable. I learned this the hard way when I tried to frost a slightly warm cake and ended up with buttercream sliding right off the sides.
  • The buttercream might look a bit grainy at first, just keep beating it. It'll turn smooth and silky, I promise, and don't add more liquid trying to fix it too early.
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  • Toasting your pistachios in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes before grinding them makes such a huge difference in flavor depth, just let them cool completely first
  • When grinding pistachios for the frosting, go longer than you think you should, almost to a paste consistency, this gives the buttercream that smooth pistachio flavor without any grit

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