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Prep time for Cake: 20-30 minutes for batter and 23 to 28 minutes for baking
Prep time for Cream Cheese Frosting: 5 minutes
Prep time for Frosting & Decorating Cake: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 12 to 16
This spectacular, melt-in-your-mouth cake can be made a day ahead. You can frost this magnificent creation, place it in a cake box and refrigerate it.
The pistachio cake is moist, delicious and rich with a luscious frosting. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:
1½ cups roasted unsalted pistachios
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil (preferably organic safflower or sunflower oil)
1½ cups unbleached, granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup whole, plain Greek yogurt (do not use low fat or nonfat yogurt)
¾ cup milk (unsweetened, nondairy milk can be used, as well)
2 cups all-purpose, unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE:
1. Set a cake rack at center of oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Meanwhile, line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cakepans with parchment paper; grease the pan sides with vegetable oil.
3. In a food processor, pulse-blend all the pistachios until they form fine crumbs (like sand, not powder); set ground pistachios aside in a bowl.
4. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter and vegetable oil on low speed until somewhat blended.
5. Then, set speed on medium and beat butter-oil mixture until smooth – about 2 minutes.
6. With mixer running, pour in the granulated sugar a little at a time.
7. Continue beating sugar on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. The mixture should turn light and fluffy.
8. Add the eggs, egg whites and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and uniform, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.
9. Add the yogurt and milk; mix on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds.
10. Add the flour, ground pistachios, baking powder and salt.
11. Beat on low speed, scraping down bowl with a spatula, until just combined.
12. Divide cake batter among the two pans, spreading it with a rubber spatula across the surface.
BAKE THE CAKE:
1. Bake the cake for about 23 to 24 minutes.
2. After 23 to 24 minutes, insert a pointed knife at center of each cake. If it comes out dry, the cakes are done. If not, bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer and test again.
3. Place both cake pans on cooling racks or on trivets on a counter and cool slightly (about 10 minutes).
4. Remove cakes from pans: using a rubber spatula, run it around edges of each cake pan. This will loosen the cakes.
5. Carefully flip each cake over onto a plate; peel off the parchment paper and quickly reinvert the cakes (right side up) onto a cooling rack or plate; cool completely.
INGREDIENTS FOR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
FROSTING:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
One 8-ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
5-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar (this is powdered sugar)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
For Décor: nonpareil candies, colored sugar crystals or other decorative candies.
MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1. Flip one of the cakes upside down and place it on a cake board or plate (this will be your serving plate).
2. Gently lift edges of cake and tuck 3-inch aluminum foil strips underneath cake. The strips will fit in between plate/board and cake. They will keep the plate/boad clean.
3. Using a frosting knife or butter knife, add 3 or 4 dollops (about ¾ cup of the frosting) across top of cake.
4. Gently spread the frosting evenly across cake and down to the sides. Be careful not to have cake crumbs mix in the frosting.
5. Top with the second cake layer (right side up) and repeat frosting the top.
6. Use remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of cake.
DECORATE THE CAKE:
1. Use colored nonpareil or sugar crystals and “splash” them at sides of cake. It will become messy, but it’s okay!
2. Decorate top of cake, per your artistic taste and/or holiday or other celebratory theme.
3. Gently lift the bottom edges of cake and SLOWLY pull away the aluminum foil strips.
4. Place cake in a box and immediately refrigerate it (keep in mind the cream cheese cannot be left out at room temperature).
5. The cake can be set out of refrigerator up to one hour before serving time.
Text, Photograph & Video ©2024 Nancy DeLucia Real
Nancy DeLucia Real is an art historian and chef. She has led culinary courses at the Italian Cultural Institute, The Getty Center and The Getty Villa and is a former member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Nancy's gastronomy training took place in the heart of Italy under the tutelage of her grandmother. She has taught international cuisine at Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table Stores. Nancy's art history & culinary courses are ongoing at various institutions. She also teaches private cooking classes. 
