Pistachio Cake with Honey Rosewater Buttercream

A cake that is bursting with Middle Eastern flavors, this Pistachio Cake with Honey Rosewater Buttercream is sure to excite and satisfy any dessert-craving! This recipe features an ultra-moist and tender pistachio cake that is heavily laced with that earthy, nutty pistachio flavor, which is complimented by the addition of lemon zest-rubbed sugar. This flavor packed caked is then topped with a delicately sweet Honey Rosewater Buttercream, that is hypnotizingly aromatic with its strong floral notes.

Pistachio and Rosewater

The inspiration for this cake came after I purchased a bottle of rose water. Having never used the stuff before, I went searching through the handy-dandy google machine to find what paired well with rose water. The answer that kept popping up everywhere was, you guessed it, pistachios! Rose water is heavily used in Middle Eastern cooking, being prized for the gorgeous floral aroma is gives. Pistachios, like many nuts, are another huge staple in Middle Eastern cooking as well. And funnily enough, pistachios are typically used more in sweet dishes rather than savory. I knew I needed to make some sort of dessert with this rosewater, and I thought what would be more perfect than a rich, moist, nutty pistachio cake recipe that is topped with a delicately sweet rose water buttercream!

Substituting Flour with Ground Pistachios

Did  you know that you can substitute up to 50% of a cake’s flour with ground nuts without compromising the  structure of the cake? As such, I developed this cake recipe, using my basic vanilla cake recipe, by substituting 1/3 of the flour with the ground pistachios. This would ensure the cake still had excellent structure, while adding that amazing nutty pistachio flavor. Furthermore, substituting ground nuts, such as the pistachios in this recipe, also makes the cake more tender (due to less gluten) and more moist (from the fat in the nuts)! It’s a win-win if you ask me!

Oil vs Butter

When looking at this pistachio cake recipe, you will notice that I didn’t use butter, and instead used oil as my fat. There are many reasons for this. First, it’s easy. Using oil instead of butter makes such easy work of a cake. There’s no need to plan in advance and pull out the butter and you do not need to worry about properly creaming the butter and sugar together to ensure proper rising. But the reasoning for using oil is beyond the simplicity – oil-based cakes are far superior in texture! Oil-based cakes are much more moist and tender, and actually less dense as well! Oil, by volume, is lighter in weight than butter is, and it also does a better job at encapsulating the flour molecules better than butter does. This superior encapsulation results in better lubrication and less gluten formation!

What all this means is that the cake will be more tender and more moist! While butter provides excellent flavor in a cake or cupcake recipe, if I can get away with using oil, I will always choose oil. And, in this pistachio cake recipe, which is obviously heavily flavored with pistachios, rose water, and citrus, you’re really not going to miss the flavor that butter provides. It’s a win-win!

Honey Rosewater Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I decided to pair this Pistachio Cake recipe with a Swiss Meringue Buttercream that is made with honey and rose water. The honey substitutes some of the typical white sugar in the meringue, imparting a flavor that pairs really nicely with the nutty, earthy flavors in the pistachio cake recipe. The reason for using a Swiss Meringue style buttercream, rather than a typical American style buttercream, is that the Swiss Meringue Buttercream is delicately sweet, allowing the rose water flavor and the background flavors of the honey to really shine. Furthermore, the texture of Swiss Meringue Buttercream is unmatched! It is silky, buttery, and smooth!

Making the Honey Rosewater Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Add egg whites and honey into a metal bowl (you can use the metal bowl of your stand mixer) and place over top of a pot with 1-2” of simmering water (do not use rapidly boiling water). Whisk the eggs and honey constantly until it reaches 160°F or 70°C. Remove from the heat and place into stand mixer and whip on high (using whip attachment) for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes the meringue should look glossy, thick, hold stiff peaks, and the bowl should be cool to the touch. At this point, turn your stand mixer to low and begin adding the butter in 1 tbsp at a time, letting the butter incorporate a bit before the next addition. After all the butter has been added turn the stand mixer back onto high. Continue to beat until the Swiss meringue buttercream comes together and looks smooth. Then add in the rose water and the salt!

If your swiss meringue buttercream looks curdled– this is okay, just keep beating! This typically happens when the meringue has cooled off too much, but a few minutes of beating should solve this. As well, if the buttercream seems loose, almost liquidy and doesn’t want to whip up, place the bowl in the freezer for a 10-15 minutes, then remove it and beat it until it whips up. This usually happens if the meringue was too warm when you began adding the butter, essentially causing the butter to melt. A quick stint in the freezer will solve this though.

Decorating the Pistachio Cake

If you’re looking to decorate your cake similar to mine, start by making 2 batches of the cake and swiss meringue buttercream. Place a nice layer of buttercream between the two layers, and then another generous layer on top. Pile the top high with figs, berries, flowers, chopped pistachios, and dried roses!

Get the Recipe: Pistachio Cake with Honey Rosewater Buttercream

4.20 stars (5 reviews)

This cake is crazy flavorful, ultra-moist, and has a middle eastern flare! Featuring ground pistachios, cardamom, rosewater, and honey!

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 1 nine” cake

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Ingredients

 

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Pistachio Cake

• 3/4 Shelled, Unsalted Pistachios
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour,, measured correctly †
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Table Salt
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar,, divided
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp Strong Pistachio Flavour Oil, (such as LorAnn Extra Strength Pistachio Oil). If using pistachio extract, or almond extract, use 1½ tsp
• 3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• Juice of ½ Lemon

Honey Rosewater Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 3 Large Egg Whites
• 2/3 cup White Sugar
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature (or very slightly colder)
• 2 tsp Rosewater
• Pinch of Salt

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Stand mixer

Instructions

 

• NOTE: These measurements are for 1 cake layer. If you want a two layer cake (like the one pictured), then double the recipe!

Pistachio Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare a 9” springform cake pan by coating with butter and a dusting of flour. Add pistachios to a food processor and pulse until the pistachios are well-ground and fine in texture (don’t over process as pistachios will eventually turn into a paste).
• In a medium to large sized mixing bowl, add the ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt, then whisk together to combine. In a separate bowl, add ½ cup of sugar and lemon zest, then rub together the sugar and zest until the sugar is all colored yellow and very fragrant, set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add eggs, sugar, lemon-zest-sugar, vanilla, and pistachio extract. Beat on high for around 5 minutes, the mixture should look thick, fluffy, and be tripled in volume. Then, slowly drizzle in the oil. After all the oil has been added, beat for an additional minute.
• On low, add the dry mixture to the stand mixer in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in between. Add lemon juice with the final addition of the milk. Beat only until the batter becomes smooth. Add the batter to the prepared pan, then bake in the oven for around 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.

Honey Rosewater Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• Place egg whites, sugar, and honey into a metal bowl and place over top of a pot of simmering water (ensuring the water is not touching the metal bowl). Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 165°F or 70°C. Remove from heat immediately and place into the stand mixer.
• Using the whip attachment, turn the stand mixer onto high and beat the meringue for about 7 minutes. The meringue should have stiff peaks, and the bowl should be cool to the touch.
• Turn the stand mixer to low and add in the butter 2 tbsp at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate a bit before the next. When all the butter has been added turn the stand mixer back onto high and beat until the buttercream looks smooth. (It may look curdled at one point, but just keep beating. If it looks soupy and too liquid, place into the fridge for freezer for 15-25 minutes, then rebeat).
• Add rosewater and salt to the buttercream and beat to combine.

Notes

† to measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then level off with a straight edge. Do not pack the flour into the cup, or scoop with the measuring cup straight from the bag/container. Alternatively, weigh the flour (1 cup = 120g or 4oz)

Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern

Course: Baking, Dessert

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