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This Pistachio Raspberry Cake not only looks absolutely beautiful, but it tastes utterly delicious too. Imagine gloriously green, super soft pistachio sponge layered with sweet pistachio buttercream and fruity raspberry jam, finished with plump and juicy raspberries, crunchy chopped pistachios, and sprigs of fresh mint – so good.
Table of Contents
This makes it the perfect bake for all sorts of celebrations like birthdays and other special occasions. Having said that, please don’t think this is complicated – I promise you it isn’t. You could easily make it for a low-key coffee morning or afternoon tea, as it is one of those recipes that looks like you have made a lot of effort, but is decidedly fuss-free…
I often think pistachios get overlooked in favor of almonds when it comes to cakes (don’t get me wrong, I love an almond cake as much as the next person, especially my super easy Orange and Almond Cake). It makes sense since you can already buy ground almonds and don’t have to blitz them up yourself. But making your own ground pistachios really doesn’t take very long at all and just needs a quick whizz in the blender. The extra step is worth it for the striking color, deliciously nutty pistachio flavor, and beautifully moist texture.
Why you will love this recipe
- Made in one bowl – so it’s simple, and there’s less washing up!
- It is perfect to make when raspberries are in season.
- It is full of flavor and texture thanks to the moist ground pistachios, fruity raspberries, sweet buttercream (infused with citrusy lemon), crunchy chopped pistachios, and fresh mint.
- It is so versatile – you can use all sorts of berries.
- It is the perfect coffee morning or teatime bake. Equally looks good enough for a special occasion or birthday celebration.
Ingredients
Golden caster sugar – This brings the sweetness and gives this Pistachio Raspberry Cake a slightly deeper hue. You could use superfine sugar (regular caster sugar).
All-purpose flour (plain flour) – The base of the sponge cake.
Pistachios – Adding ground pistachios to the cake batter gives a glorious green hue and creates the most wonderful moist texture.
Confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar) – This adds sweetness and stability to the buttercream. Make sure you sieve it first to remove any lumps.
Smooth pistachio cream – Brings the most delicious pistachio flavor to the buttercream. You could make your own using my Pistachio Cream recipe or use a store-bought version.
Substitutions and variations
Vanilla bean paste – Swap the vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste – just not vanilla essence which is rather artificial tasting.
Pistachio cream – You could use pistachio paste or butter instead; just remember to keep tasting and checking the flavor.
Nuts – Switch up the flavor profile by swapping the ground pistachios for ground almonds or hazelnuts (if you make your own, make sure you blitz them very fine – you want the same consistency as shop-bought ground almonds). Then swap the pistachio cream in the buttercream for chocolate and hazelnut spread or almond butter and decorate with toasted almond flakes or roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts.
Vanilla icing sugar – If you can find it, use vanilla icing sugar in the buttercream. It adds a subtle vanilla sweetness that just tastes so good.
Fruit – Although this is a Pistachio Raspberry Cake, it is equally delicious with all sorts of berries. Hulled and sliced strawberries or pitted cherries both look and taste wonderful too. Remember to switch up the raspberry jam to match the fruit – e.g. opting for a strawberry jam or cherry compote instead.
Freeze-dried raspberries – You could also decorate with a sprinkling of freeze-dried raspberries. They look super pretty and add a burst of color and intense raspberry flavor.
White chocolate – Decorate this Pistachio Raspberry Cake with white chocolate curls. Simply use a vegetable peeler to grate curls from a bar of good-quality white chocolate.
How to make pistachio raspberry cake
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) and grease and line your cake pans. In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for about 3-5 minutes – or until the mixture is lighter in color, completely smooth, and mousse-like.
TWO: Add the vanilla extract and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until the batter is completely smooth.
THREE: Sift in the flour and baking powder.
FOUR: Add the salt and ground pistachios. Fold in carefully until just combined.
FIVE: Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans, then smooth over the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten into an even layer. Bake for about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
SIX: Meanwhile, prepare the buttercream: in a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sifted superfine (icing) sugar until pale and increased in size.
SEVEN: Add the pistachio cream, salt, and lemon juice and beat again. Taste and adjust the lemon, as needed.
EIGHT: Once the cakes have completely cooled, set one on a flat plate. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe half the buttercream on top in an even layer.
NINE: Use a palette knife to spread the jam on top in a smooth and even layer. Take care not to go too near the edges, or it will pour out the sides (although you do want to be able to see it).
TEN: Top with the second cake, followed by the remaining buttercream.
ELEVEN: Decorate with fresh raspberries, sprigs of fresh mint, and chopped pistachios. Enjoy!
TWELVE: Slice and enjoy!
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Softened butter: It is really important to make sure your butter is softened before you begin making this Pistachio Raspberry Cake. Otherwise, it won’t cream properly with the sugar, and you will end up with clumps of butter (which is not what we are going for!).
- Toasted pistachios: Toast the pistachios for the decoration, then leave to cool before roughly chopping if you want to add an extra depth of flavor. Watch them closely as they can burn in seconds!
- Ground pistachios: To make your own ground pistachios, simply blitz whole de-shelled unsalted pistachios in a food processor until very fine (almost a powder consistency). Opt for Persian pistachios for the most vivid green color.
- Sieved confectioners’ (icing) sugar: Powdered sugar tends to form clumps over time, so make sure you sieve it before making the buttercream to ensure you have a smooth buttercream ready for piping.
About the pistachio buttercream…
There are so many other types of buttercream. For this Pistachio Raspberry Cake, I used an American-style buttercream, which is probably the most well-known and one of the easiest. It is made using confectioners’ (icing) sugar, butter, and, often, a splash of milk (that isn’t needed for this recipe, as we use pistachio cream). It is very sweet (the ratio is normally 2:1 sugar) and can be flavored in many different ways.
You could make this Pistachio Raspberry Cake using a different type of buttercream if you are confident with the method and how to add the pistachio cream to flavor accordingly.
More types of buttercream
While Italian, Swiss, and American buttercream are the most famous varieties, there are so many more. Below is a list of some of my favorites:
- Russian buttercream – Also known as ‘condensed milk buttercream’. It is a favorite because it is just so unbelievably easy, takes less than 10 minutes to make, and has the most delicious buttery, caramel flavor without being overly sweet. All you do is mix together softened butter with condensed milk and your choice of flavors (vanilla extract and a pinch of salt are my go-tos, but you can make chocolate and fruit versions too).
- American buttercream – This is probably the most well-known buttercream and is made using confectioners’ sugar, butter, and, often, a splash of milk. It is very sweet (the ratio is normally 2:1 sugar) and can be flavored in many different ways.
- German buttercream – A really rich and decadent option which starts by making a crème pâtissière with egg yolks, cream, cornstarch (cornflour), sugar, and vanilla extract. Then allow it to cool before whisking in butter. It tastes like a very light, buttery custard but is more complex to make.
- Italian buttercream – Considered one of the most complex, but also most stable, buttercreams. It is made by drizzling hot sugar syrup into whisked egg whites, before gradually adding butter to form a buttercream. It has a pure white color, gives a melt-in-the-mouth texture, and has the most delicious sweet, slightly buttery flavor.
- French buttercream – A luxurious buttercream made with whole eggs or egg yolks, butter, and cooked sugar syrup (plus flavorings of your choice). It is similar to the Italian meringue-based buttercream in technique, but the egg yolks give it a richer flavor, more velvety texture, and yellowy color.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! Obviously, it won’t be a Pistachio Raspberry Cake; you can still use this method with other nuts like almonds and hazelnuts. If grinding your own, make sure you blitz them very fine – you want the same consistency as store-bought ground almonds. Then swap the pistachio cream in the buttercream for chocolate and hazelnut spread or almond butter. Decorate with toasted almond flakes or roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts.
Not at all. I have had great success with hulled and sliced strawberries and pitted cherries. Just make sure you switch up the jam to complement (e.g., using strawberry jam or cherry compote instead).
Keep in an airtight cake tin or well-wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before eating, as it’s better at room temperature rather than fridge cold!
Yes, you can make the full cake a day in advance. Cover and place in the fridge, then remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving so it has time to come to room temperature. You can make the sponge 3 days in advance. Leave to cool and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge. For the icing, you can also make this 5 days in advance. Place in an airtight container in the fridge. Again, bring to room temperature before using.
You can freeze the sponges and the icing separately, not together. For the sponges, leave to cool and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, take out of the freezer the night before and allow to thaw overnight at room temp. For the icing, you can also make this in advance and place it in an airtight container, freezing it for up to 3 months. Again, take out of the freezer and allow to thaw for a few hours until soft and whippable again.
Other recipes you might enjoy
My Orange and Almond Cake, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake, or White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake are all ones to try.
I also have plenty of recipes with pistachios, like my delicious Pistachio Tiramisu (a dream make-ahead dinner party dessert). Or my luxurious Pistachio Cream Brioche French Toast, perfect for a special occasion brunch.
Easy Baking Recipes
Raspberry and Chocolate Cake
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Chocolate Mud Cake with Malted Whipped Cream
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Caramelised Banana Upside Down Cake
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White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake
If you tried this Pistachio Raspberry Cake or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Pistachio Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 8.75 oz unsalted butter, 2 sticks + 3 tbsp; softened
- 8.5 oz golden caster sugar, or superfine sugar; about generous 1 1/4 cups
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 5.25 oz all-purpose flour (plain flour), 1 cup + scant 1/4 cup
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3.5 oz shelled pistachios, about generous 3/4 cup
For the buttercream:
- 6.25 oz softened unsalted butter, about 1 1/2 sticks
- 9.75 oz sifted confectioners' (icing) sugar, 2 1/4 cups
- 2 tbsp smooth pistachio cream
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
To decorate:
- 3 tbsp raspberry jam
- 8.75 oz fresh raspberries, about 2 cups
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped pistachios
- Sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) and grease and line 2 x 8-inch (20 cm) loose-bottomed round cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for about 3-5 minutes – or until the mixture is lighter in color, completely smooth, and mousse-like. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until the batter is completely smooth.
- In a food processor or blender, grind the pistachios into a fine crumb, like the texture of ground almonds/almond meal.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder before adding the salt and ground pistachios. Fold in carefully until just combined.
- Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans, then smooth over the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten into an even layer.
- Bake for about 35 minutes – or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely (the green color on the outside might fade slightly; don’t worry – it will still be vibrant inside).
- Meanwhile, prepare the buttercream: In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sifted confectioners' (icing) sugar until pale and increased in size. Add the pistachio cream, salt, and lemon juice, and beat again. Taste and adjust the lemon, as needed.
- Once the cakes have completely cooled, set one on a flat plate. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe half the buttercream on top in an even layer. Use a palette knife to spread the jam on top in a smooth and even layer – take care not to go too near the edges, or it will pour out the sides (although you do want to be able to see it). Top with the second cake, followed by the remaining buttercream.
- Decorate with fresh raspberries, sprigs of fresh mint, and chopped pistachios. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To store: Keep in an airtight cake tin or well-wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before eating, as it’s better at room temperature rather than fridge cold! To freeze: You can freeze the sponges and the icing separately, not together. For the sponges, leave to cool and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, take out of the freezer the night before and allow to thaw overnight at room temp. For the icing, you can also make this in advance and place it in an airtight container, freezing it for up to 3 months. Again, take out of the freezer and allow to thaw for a few hours until soft and whippable again. Make-ahead: You can make the full cake a day in advance. Cover and place in the fridge, then remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving so it has time to come to room temperature. You can make the sponge 3 days in advance. Leave to cool and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge. For the icing, you can also make this 5 days in advance and place it in an airtight container in the fridge. Again, bring to room temperature before using.More quick tips
Pistachios: For the most vivid green color, opt for Persian pistachios. Perfectly portioned cakes: If you want to be exact, you can weigh the batter before dividing between the pans to ensure they are the same size. Raspberries: This is equally delicious with strawberries or pitted cherries instead of raspberries. Switch up the raspberry jam to match the fruit – e.g., opting for a strawberry jam or cherry compote instead. Buttercream: You can use a palette knife to spread the buttercream, if you prefer, or if you want to go fancy, use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Sugar: This recipe has been tested with superfine (caster) sugar, not granulated sugar. If you can’t find it, blitz granulated sugar in a blender to a finer texture. Top baking tips- Try to avoid opening your oven door as the cake bakes. This can cause it to sink in the middle due to the drop in temperature.
- Make sure you beat the butter and sugar really well as instructed. Creating air in the batter at this stage creates a lighter cake at the end.
- Don’t overmix the flour – you want it just combined. Overmixing can make the cakes dense and tough.
- Ideally, weighing your ingredients is the best way to bake, as it’s the most accurate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This turned out to be both the most beautiful and most delicious cake I’ve ever made! My family devoured it. I am gluten intolerant, and this translated very easily into a GF recipe. All I did was sub the flour for King Arthur 1:1 and let the batter rest for 30 min before baking. I found that they were done around 30 min rather than 35, but that could just be my oven.
I also added a few drops of food coloring as there was no way the pistachios alone would create that beautiful color. My last modification was that I made the buttercream a little less sweet, as that’s my preference. All around a great recipe that’s inspired me to try other versions.
Oh this makes me so happy! thank you so much for taking the time to tell me how it turned out, I couldn’t be more delighted.And great tips about making it gluten free, thank you! xx
Hello!
I’m planning to make this cake on Saturday for my sister’s birthday so I haven’t tried it yet, but everything I’ve made from your recipes has turned out amazing, so I’m sure this will be a hit too!
I just had a question: you mentioned Swiss buttercream, but didn’t go into detail about it. Is it because you don’t like this kind of buttercream?
Thank you so much, I can’t wait to try it !
Hello! Ah, thank you, glad it’s all been a success! I do like Swiss buttercream but I didn’t go into detail as it’s a more common buttercream than the other ones listed. This cake uses an American buttercream, about which I also don’t go into detail, as that’s also a more common variation! Hope your sister has a happy birthday!
Are you using salted or unsalted pistachios?
Unsalted! I usually opt for unsalted Persian pistachios for the most vivid green colour but it will still be delicious with regular unsalted pistachios.
What should I do if I don’t have a food processor?
A blender would work if you have one. Otherwise, you could buy pre-ground pistachios but the cake may not turn out as green as if you grind them fresh (but will still be delicious!)
I baked this cake for my eldest daugther birthday and turned out absolutely delicious! All the instructions, notes and step by step photos were so clear, you cannot go wrong. I just added a little bit more of the pistachio creme to the buttercream, and since I did not have salt-free pistachios, the saltiness gave it a good taste (since a lot is washed when blanching).
It is indeed a crow pleaser, and my daugther is looking forward for me to bake it again 🙂
I’ve also followed your recipe for the pistachio cream, amazing!
Presentation was also beauthiful; I whish I could add photos here 😉
Oh I’m so happy to hear this! Wish we could see the pictures too! xx
How much less would you recommend baking for using 2 x 9½-inch (25cm) wide by 2-inch (5cm) deep Cake Tin?
Hard to say exactly as they will be really quite thin cakes but start with 15-20 mins and then see how they look. They will likely still need longer. Test with a skewer and see. Try to not open the oven every 2 minutes if you can! Use visual cues to see how done they look and only open oven door to really test the cakes doneness with your fingertips/skewer. Happy baking!
Loved making this for my brothers 30th! Went down very well. One thing I’d say is the icing is so so sweet so I would probably tune it down a bit next time but that’s just personal preference
Absolutely stunning!
Gorgrous recept! Can you tell me only how do you get than beautiful green colour? Did not succeed neither with the cake, neither with the cream. From the pistachios I did’t get green colour.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Sanja, glad you liked the cake! I usually opt for Persian pistachios for the most vivid green colour but don’t worry too much, as it’s always just as delicious regardless of the colour.
I made it for my family and everyone loved it. The taste of pistachio came through just right and it had the perfect amount of sweetness. I don’t bake often and this was my first attempt at this recipe. It couldn’t have gone more perfectly. Very easy to follow along as well!