Raspberry Pistachio Cake

Instructions

Pistachio Cake

Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 6" cake pans with rounds of parchment paper on the bottom and set aside.
Grind pistachios: In a bullet blender or food processor, whiz pistachios for about 30 seconds until they become a coarse flour texture. Transfer this to a medium bowl.
Dry mixture: To the pistachios, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together to combine. Set aside.
Wet mixture: In a large mixing bowl, add melted butter and sugar. Whisk together until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until incorporated.
Wet mixture continued: Add the greek yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk again until combined.
Combine dry and wet mixture: Use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the flour mixture into the wet mixture. The goal is just to break up any clumps of pistachio flour. Any larger pieces of pistachios that are remaining in the sieve can be added back to the batter. Whisk together until just combined.
Fill cake pans: Divide the batter into your three lined cake pans (about 320g of batter in each). Give each of the pans a spin on the counter to push the batter to the sides of the pan (a trick to help the cakes bake flatter).
Bake: Bake cakes for about 30-35 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
Release cake layers: Let the cakes cool in the pans until they're cool enough to touch with your hands. Run an offset spatula around the sides of each cake and invert the pan to release the cake layers onto a wire rack. Peel the parchment paper off and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.

Raspberry Jam

Cook: In a small pot, add raspberries, sugar, and water. Heat on medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook the jam until it thickens to a jammy consistency (when you drag a spatula through it, the jam should part on either side and slowly come back together over a few seconds.
Remove seeds: Push the jam through a fine-mesh sieve. Remove and discard the seeds. Let the jam cool completely before using.

Raspberry Buttercream

Cream butter: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for about 10 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl halfway, or until the butter is very creamy and pale in colour.
Whip buttercream: Add the powdered sugar. Start the mixer on low speed, working up to medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. Add the raspberry jam and vanilla extract and continue beating. Stream in one tablespoon of heavy cream at a time to thin out the buttercream as desired. After everything has been added, scrape down the bowl and continue beating for another 5 minutes.
Melt buttercream: Transfer a large dollop of buttercream to a small bowl and microwave for about 10 seconds until it becomes partially melted. Pour this back into the rest of the buttercream and fold together with a spatula until the buttercream is smooth and silky. Repeat as needed any time the buttercream gets too cold or has been sitting out for a while.
Transfer: Transfer about ¼ of the buttercream to a piping bag and cut the tip of the bag off.

Assemble the cake

First cake layer: On a cake turntable, place down your first cake layer. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake layer. Add about 4 tablespoons of raspberry jam in the middle of the icing ring. Use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
Second & third cake layers: Place a second cake layer on top. Repeat adding the ring of icing and raspberry jam. Top with the last cake layer.
Crumb coat: Smooth a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake as a crumb coat and scrape away the excess with a cake scraper. Let the cake chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes until the crumb coat is firm to the touch.
Final buttercream layer: Spread about ¾ of the remaining buttercream around the entire cake and scrape off the excess with a scraper.
Decorate: Transfer the remaining buttercream to piping bags fitted with piping tips of your choice. Pipe your buttercream design on the cake. Finish by sprinkling crushed pistachios on top of the cake and decorating with ribbon bows.