Raspberry Pistachio Cake

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This raspberry pistachio cake is so fresh and delicious. It has super soft pistachio cake layers, a fresh raspberry buttercream and filled with homemade raspberry jam. The buttercream is made with freeze-dried raspberry giving it max amount of raspberry flavor and a beautiful natrual pink color.

This fresh and soft raspberry pistachio cake is a perfect spring/summer cake. This layer cake is full of raspberry flavor that combines beautifully with the earthy notes from the pistachio cake layers. This raspberry pistachio layer cake are the perfect cake for Valentine's day, baby showers and other celebrations.

For more layer cake recipes, try  Nutella Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake and Chai Cake.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Pistachio cake layers: The cake layers are naturally colored by the pistachios.
• Raspberry jam: This homemade jam is quick and easy and so delicious! If you're not up for making your own jam, you can also use a store bought raspberry jam.
• Raspberry buttercream: The raspberry buttercream perfectly balance the flavors of the pistachio and raspberry.

INGREDIENT NOTES

These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

• Frozen raspberries: For the jam I prefer frozen raspberries over fresh, as they often have a more intense flavor.
• Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
• Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
• Pistachio: The pistachios naturally gives the most beautiful green color.
• Sour cream: Sour cream makes for a softer and more tender cake. Measure out the sour cream and let it come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking
• Freeze dried raspberry powder:  If not already a powder, blend the freeze-dried raspberries into a powder before adding it to buttercream. Freeze-dried raspberry gives the most amazing flavor.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - RASPBERRY JAM

Here is how make and bake this Raspberry Pistachio Layer Cake. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. You will need 3 x 20 cm baking pan lined with baking paper.

The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - PISTACHIO CAKE LAYERS

Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven. Prepare the 3 x 20 cm baking pan lined with baking paper.

STEP 1: Start by blending the pistachios into a flour-like consistency. Sift together the blended pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.

STEP 2. In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, and granulated sugar and mix it on high speed for 3 minutes. Add two eggs at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.

STEP 3: Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, on low speed, mixing until just combined. Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

STEP 4: Pour the cake into the prepared pans and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - JAM & BUTTERCREAM

STEP 1: For the jam, add the raspberries, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice to a saucepan and heat it up until the raspberries are no longer frozen, have started to break down, and the resulting liquid has come to a bubble. Let it simmer for 8 minutes or until the raspberry jam has thickened.

STEP 2:  Pour the jam into a shallow bowl, to let it cool down faster, and place it in the fridge. Let it cool down until room temperature or colder. Takes about 1 hour.

STEP 3: For the buttercream, sift the powdered sugar and freeze dried raspberry powder and set it aside. 

STEP 4: Mix the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium/high speed. Add the powdered sugar/freeze dried raspberry powder, vanilla extra and milk in 2 parts. Whipping until each addition is fully incorporated.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - ASSEMBLING

STEP 5: Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. Add 2 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out.

STEP 6: While evening it out make an indent in the buttercream to create a border so the raspberry jam doesn’t spill out. Add half of the raspberry jam even it out. Then add the other cake layer and repeat the process for the next layer. Add the cake layer on top and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes for the buttercream to set before adding the crumb coat.

STEP 7: Then cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat. Then finally add the remaining buttercream, and even it out over the cake. Optional, decorate with the fresh raspberries and chopped pistachios.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams as it is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
• Don't over mix your batter: To make sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter, I like to give it a final gentle fold with a by hand with a spatula.
• Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pan are light in color and therefore attracts less heat which means they bake more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a e.g. a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat, which will then give a darker crust, that results in a dryer cake.

FAQ

STORAGE

Store this red velvet cake in the fridge in an airtight container. When wanting to eat it, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. It's best enjoyed within a 2-3 days.

Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try

Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.

Raspberry Pistachio Cake

This raspberry pistachio cake is so fresh and delicious. It has super soft pistachio cake layers, a fresh raspberry buttercream and filled with homemade raspberry jam. The buttercream is made with freeze-dried raspberry giving it max amount of raspberry flavor and a beautiful natrual pink color.

5 fra 20 stemmer

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Calories 922 kcal

Equipment

• 3x 20 cm (8 in) baking pan

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

PISTACHIO CAKE LAYERS

• 100 g unsalted pistachios , blended into flour
• 260 g all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 180 g butter room temperature
• 300 g granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 240 g sour cream room temperature
• 60 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

RASPBERRY JAM (or store bought)

• 250 g frozen raspberries
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon water

RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM

• 400 g butter room temperature
• 660 g powdered sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoon freeze dried raspberry powder
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon whole milk room temperature

Instructions

 

PISTACHIO CAKE

• Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and prepare a 3 x20 cm/8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• Start by blending the pistachios into a flour-like consistency.
  100 g unsalted pistachios
• Sift together the blended pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.
  260 g all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
• In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, and granulated sugar and mix it on high speed for 3 minutes.
  180 g butter, 300 g granulated sugar
• Add two eggs at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.
  4 large eggs
• Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, on low speed, mixing until just combined.
• Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  240 g sour cream, 60 g vegetable oil, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.
• Pour the cake into the prepared pans and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.

RASPBERRY JAM

• Add the raspberries, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice to a saucepan and heat it up until the raspberries are no longer frozen, have started to break down, and the resulting liquid has come to a bubble. Once bubbling, turn it down to a simmer. Stir occasionally and with a rubber spatula mash down raspberries.
  250 g frozen raspberries, 50 g granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Let it simmer for 8 minutes or until the raspberry jam has thickened. Then in a cup mix together cornstarch and water and pour it into the jam. Continuously stir it around for 1 minute while it thickens.
  1 teaspoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoon water
• Pour the jam into a shallow bowl, to let it cool down faster, and place it in the fridge. Let it cool down until room temperature or colder. Takes about 1 hour.

RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM

• Sift the powdered sugar and freeze dried raspberry powder and set it aside.
  660 g powdered sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon freeze dried raspberry powder
• Mix the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
  400 g butter
• Add the powdered sugar/freeze dried raspberry powder, vanilla extra and milk in 2 parts. Whipping until each addition is fully incorporated.
  2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon whole milk
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the buttercream a final mix for 2 minutes at low speed.

ASSEMBLING

• Place the first cake layer on your serving dish on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
• Add 2 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out. While evening it out make an indent in the buttercream to create a border so the raspberry jam doesn’t spill out.
• Add half of the raspberry jam even it out. Then add the other cake layer and repeat the process for the next layer. Add the last cake layer on top and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes for the buttercream to set before adding the crumb coat.
• Then cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat. Then finally add the remaining buttercream, and even it out over the cake. Optional, decorate with the fresh raspberries and chopped pistachios.

Notes

This recipe was updated on the 26th February 2024. The previous buttercream recipe is listed below: 

RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

• 100 g white chocolate
• 20 g heavy cream
• 300 g butter cool room temperature
• 50 g raspberry jam
• 500 g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Melt the white chocolate and heavy cream together over a bain-marie or in the microwave. Let it cool down to room temperature in the fridge (it’s important that it’s not too hot).
• Take the butter out of the fridge 10 min before starting. Cut the butter into cubes.
• In your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 2 min on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 1 min more. Add the melted white chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix to make sure it’s fully incorporated with the butter. Add 50 g of raspberry jam that was made earlier, and mix until combined. On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar in 3 portion, mix in the powdered sugar at low speed, until each addition is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the vanilla extract. Mix for 2 min on low/medium speed.
• Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.

Nutrition

Calories: 922kcalCarbohydrates: 107gProtein: 7gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 582mgPotassium: 205mgFiber: 3gSugar: 86gVitamin A: 1449IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg

Keyword layer cake, pistachio, raspberry

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