Pistachio Rose Cake #Recipe by @Libby Klein

Libby Klein I am fascinated with exotic flavors in baking. So when I saw the recipe for a pistachio rose cake with cardamom I had to try it. There are several ingredients you might need to order on the internet, like the rose water and edible rose petals. And I always get shelled pistachios because life is too short to try to break those little monsters open to make a cake. If you can find pistachio flour you could just use that because you end up pulsing the nuts into a fine grind anyway.

Let me know in the comments if you would eat a rose flavored cake.

I had very high hopes for this recipe, and flavor wise they did not disappoint. Texture wise... I ended up with a rather dense cake. Which might be due only to the fact that it had to be kept refrigerated because the frosting was essentially rose flavored whipped cream. I could not taste the cardamom at all, so next time I'd add more.

If I had to do things again, I would make a rose water Swiss buttercream that would not have to be refrigerated - so that is what I'm going to give you here even though I actually made the frosting that came with the original recipe. But if you want an easier frosting, make an American buttercream and add rose water in place of the vanilla.

If I were low on time, I would use a boxed pistachio cake mix and just add cardamom and rose water to it. 

Also note, this recipe made a very small cake. Three 7" layers. I had 7" cake pans so I was able to keep true to the recipe's intentions. If you were to substitute a normal 9" cake pan you would only get one layer - so double the recipe if that's what you're using.

The shining star here was the raspberry rose jam. If you can't do the raspberry seeds, buy yourself the Smuckers seedless jam and melt it over low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Then add the rose water and put it back in the jar to cool. The recipe said you'd only use half the jam, but I used every bit of it.

The original recipe was in metric. I have a scale, so that isn't a problem for me. If you don't have a scale you'll want to google the conversions.

Pistachio Rose Cake

Ingredients

Raspberry Rose Jam

250g frozen raspberries 
200g sugar
1 1/2 tbsp rose water
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cake

165g salted butter, softened at room temperature
300g sugar
3 medium eggs
200g flour or one to one gluten free flour
3/4 tsp cardamom powder (I would up this to a teaspoon personally)
85g ground unsalted pistachios (Use whole nuts and grind them in the food processor)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp rose water
1 drop green food coloring
180ml buttermilk
1/4 tsp almond extract

Rose Swiss Buttercream

6 large egg whites (approximately 180g)
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool and cut into Tbsp size pieces
2 teaspoons rose water
1/8 teaspoon salt

Decoration 

Edible rose petals
Crushed pistachios

Instructions

Make the raspberry rose jam first. You can even make this days ahead.  

 

Add the raspberries to a medium saucepan. Place on a medium heat until the raspberries begin releasing their juices. Once completely squashed, add the remaining ingredients and allow to gently boil for 5 mins. You can test if it’s done by placing a teaspoon of the mixture to a plate then refrigerating for 1min. If it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, it will set perfectly. Pour the jam into a heat safe vessel and let it cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Now for the Cake

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and line 3 x 7-inch baking tins. (or one 9-inch cake pan)

Begin by creaming together the butter and sugar. One by one, add the eggs, mixing well to combine. Mix together the dry ingredients – flour, cardamom, pistachios and baking soda in a bowl. Mix together the wet ingredients – buttermilk, green food dye, rose water, and almond extract. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the butter mix before mixing well to combine. Add half of the wet ingredients to the butter mix before mixing well to combine. Repeat until all ingredients are combined.

Split the batter equally into the prepared baking tins and bake for 25 mins or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from baking tins and cool on a wire rack.

Frosting

Separate the eggs, placing the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer. 

Whisk sugar into the egg whites, then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with just two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and be frothy white on top. To test that it’s ready, you can use your finger or an instant read thermometer. Lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldn’t feel any sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160°F (71°C).

Transfer the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes. If the bowl and meringue still feel warm, wait until both cool to room temperature (around 70°F (21°C)) before adding the butter in the next step.

Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment. On medium-high speed, add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time. Wait for the butter to fully mix in before adding the next Tablespoon. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to medium speed and fully beat in the rose water and salt, about 30 seconds.

Assembly

Smear a spoonful of frosting onto a cake board before topping with the first layer of cake. Top with a couple of tablespoons of jam. Spread evenly. Add a couple of spoons of frosting on top of that before spreading evenly.

Repeat with the second layer of cake, jam, and frosting.

Top with the final layer of cake and decorate the sides and top with frosting. Top with edible rose petals and chopped pistachios.

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Layla is taking her new life one day at a time from the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park she now calls home. Being alone is how she likes it. Simple. Uncomplicated. Though try telling that to the group of local ladies who are in relentless pursuit of Layla as their new BFF, determined to make her join them for coffee and donuts.

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Libby Klein writes ridiculously funny murder mysteries from her Northern Virginia office with a very naughty calico Persian named Miss Eliza Doolittle, and a sweet black Lab named Vader. She can name that tune for 70s and 80s rock in the first few notes, and she's translated her love of classic rock into her Layla Virtue Mysteries. Libby was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that prevents her from eating gluten without exploding. Because bread is one of her love languages, she includes the recipes for gluten free goodies in her Cape May based Poppy McAllister series. Most of her hobbies revolve around travel, and eating, and eating while traveling. She insists she can find her way to any coffee shop anywhere in the world, even while blindfolded. Follow all of her nonsense on her website www.LibbyKleinBooks.com/Newsletter/