PISTACHIO LAYER CAKE
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Cakes, Desserts
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
  • 125 gr ground pistachios (about 1 cup)
  • 375 gr flour (3 cups sifted before measuring)
  • 30 gr corn starch (1/4 cup)
  • 2 tsp baking powder (8 gr)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 225 gr butter, room temp (2 sticks)
  • 300 gr granulated sugar (1½ cups)
  • 1 whole egg
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 Tbs vanilla extract
  • 360 ml milk (1½ cups)
  • .
  • PISTACHIO GANACHE
  • 400 ml cream (1¾ cup)
  • 180 gr white chocolate chips (1 cup)
  • 60 gr unsweetened pistachio paste or ground pistachio (about 3 heaped Tbs)
  • .
  • CHOCOLATE GANACHE (Adapted from Cafe Fernando)
  • 360 gr chocolate (70% cocoa) (2 cups)
  • 50 gr cocoa (1/2 cup)
  • 50 gr granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
  • a pinch of salt
  • 240 ml boiling water (1 cup)
  • 75 gr butter, room temp (about 5 Tbs)
  • 160 ml cream, room temp (2/3 cup)
  • .
  • a little milk to moisten the cake when assembling
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Grease two 8 inch cake pans with butter and dust with flour. Place parchment paper at the base.
  2. Mix flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder and b. soda in a bowl and sift.
  3. Add in the ground pistachios and set aside.
  4. Place butter in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for a couple of minutes. Add in the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.
  5. Mix in the whole egg and vanilla extract.
  6. Add in the dry ingredients to the batter in three batches alternating with the milk, mixing each time until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as you go.
  7. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form (about 4-5 mins) Fold the whites into the batter until just combined.
  8. Divide between your cake pans and bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 mins. Do the toothpick test before removing from the oven.
  9. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing. Transfer on to a cooling rack and peel of the parchment paper from the bottoms of the cakes.
  10. To prepare the pistachio ganache place white chocolate and pistachio paste/ground pistachio in a bowl. Bring cream to boiling point and pour over the white chocolate. Mix well until nice and smooth and once at room temperature, place in the fridge.
  11. For the chocolate ganache place chopped chocolate, cocoa, sugar and salt in a bowl. Pour over the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Mix in the butter and combine well and add the cream. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the chocolate ganache and place in the fridge for 20-30 mins.
  12. Cut the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife so they are nice and level. Then cut each cake in half so that you end up with four disks.
  13. To assemble the cake place a Tbs of chocolate ganache on your serving platter so the cake will stay put as we work :):) And place 3-4 strips of baking parchment on the sides of the platter before putting the first round of cake on top. This way the dish won't get covered in chocolate as we frost the cake.
  14. Remove the pistachio ganache from the fridge and beat with an electric whisk for a minute before placing in a pastry bag.
  15. Place the first round of cake on your platter and moisten it with a few Tbs of milk. Spread ⅓ of the whipped pistachio ganache evenly. Repeat with two more rounds of cake and place the last one on the top.
  16. Beat the chocolate ganache with a silicone spatula to make sure it has a spreadable consistency.
  17. Starting from the top, crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of chocolate ganache.
  18. Spread the rest of the ganache all over the cake. You can go for a smooth look as I tried to achieve using a cake knife or go for a more rough and casual look.
  19. Decorate if you wish with ground/whole pistachios, fresh fruit or chocolate chunks.
  20. Once set, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
You can bake the cake a day ahead and keep at room temperature, wrapped tightly.

Prepare the dark chocolate ganache half an hour before you are ready to use. If prepared too early it will solidify too much and won't have a spreadable consistency.

You won't have the same problem with the white chocolate and pistachio ganache though. You can prepare it well in advance as it will keep in the fridge for a few days.

I also sprinkled the layers with some roughly chopped pistachios.

If you have a little leftover dark chocolate ganache you can make a few truffles.
Recipe by HatiBon English at https://www.hatibon.com/blog/2017/01/pistachio-chocolate-layer-cake/