Pistachio Cake

Filled with wholesome ingredients like real ground pistachios (which give it a light, nutty flavor and lovely pale green tint), this beautiful cake is complemented by a delicious cream cheese frosting with a hint of orange flavor.

Prep: 30 min
Bake: 35 min
Yield: 1 (3 - layer) 6-inch round cake
Ingredients
    Cake
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup triple sec, clear
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and toasted + extra for garnish
  • 1 3/4 cups sifted Swans Down® Cake Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
    Frosting
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 orange
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and line 3 (6-inch) round cake pans.
  2. Combine eggs, Greek yogurt, triple sec, vanilla and almond extract together in a small bowl and mix well; set aside.
  3. Place sugar and pistachios in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine sand. (Be careful not to over process or it will turn into a paste.)
  4. Place ground pistachio mixture, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on low to combine. Add butter and 1/4 of the egg mixture. Beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute to help build structure. (The mixture will be thick and moist.) Add remaining egg mixture in 3 additions, mixing on medium speed until fully incorporated into batter.
  5. Divide batter evenly in the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in pans, then remove from pans to a wire rack and cool completely.
  6. Make Frosting: Finely zest the orange (reserve the remaining orange for another use). Place the cream cheese, butter, orange zest, honey and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream together until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.
  7. Assemble Cake: Top each layer with frosting and assemble, then frost the cake with a crumb coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes to set.
  8. Remove cake from refrigerator and apply a finish layer of frosting. Using a bench scraper or offset spatula, smooth out the cake surface, removing excess frosting to achieve a “naked” look that reveals cake layers. Garnish with roughly chopped pistachios.
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View Comments

    • Hi Stormie, You can substitue the Triple Sec with 1/4 cup orange juice if you'd like. Happy baking!

    • Hi Loretta, Triple Sec is an orange flavored liqueur used in cocktails such as the Cosmopolitan, Margaritas and Long Island Ice tea. It add a wonderful hint of orange to the delicious Swans Down Pistachio Cake. Not to worry, the alcohol will evaporate off during baking. Happy Baking!

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