Light as air, and best eaten immediately {surely the best type of cake}, a dreamy pistachio cake is the cure to many ills. Each layer is topped with raspberry jam and marshmallow-y pillows of icing, perfect for a Sunday Birthday cake.
Sunday was one of my Mother-in-Law’s Birthday and some of the family were coming together to celebrate. The first taste of the typical South Queensland summer arrived, the air was steamy and hot, with storm clouds rolling in; we needed a cake that was light and airy – and wouldn’t wilt in the heat. Using a sponge style recipe which uses both the yolks and the whites for stability was a good choice. The original recipe was sourced from Gourmet Traveller {one of my favorite foodie mags} and just used pistachio nuts. For a different depth of flavor I included a mixture of pistachio, pecan and almond, and really this can be played with as you like to make one flavor or another the hero.
- 5 eggs, separated
- 150 g caster sugar
- 170 g self raising flour
- 40 g pistachio nuts
- 30 g slivered almonds
- 10 g pecans
- Line two, 6 inch cake tins and pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees C.
- In a mixer combine egg yolks and caster sugar and mix until pale and fluffy.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. {It’s recipes like this where also owning an old school hand beater comes in handy! Mine is circa 1988 and it’s still going strong}
- Mix the nuts together and finely chop. I admit, I cheat and use a processor, rather than chop by hand, it is just SO much quicker.
- Fold fluffy egg yolks gently into the egg whites. The key to folding is using a soft hand, too rough and the air is beaten out of the mix and you will lose the lightness in the cake.
- When just combined dust the egg mix with sieved flour and nuts, again, fold in the ingredients carefully.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the two pans and bake for 20 minutes.
- When a cake tester comes out clean, remove the cakes from the oven, stand for two minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
I just love the edible confetti, it reminds me of wedding celebrations and just generally makes me happy. Simple pleasure.
Icing
The icing is a bit more of a challenge, but nothing a sugar thermometer can’t fix.
ingredients
- 190 g caster sugar
- 100m water
- 3 egg whites
- dash of lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp rose water
method
- In a mixer whisk egg whites until peaks form.
- Meanwhile, boil sugar and water until reaches 118 degrees C (soft ball stage).
- With the mixer on medium speed carefully pour the sugar steadily into the egg whites.
- Increase the speed to high and beat the icing until cool.
Layering
This the best part; where all your hard work comes together….
you’ll need
- serving platter or cake stand
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam, softened
- offset handled pallet knife
method
- Using a bread knife, cut each six inch cake into two layers. Trim the tops to make sure they’re flat.
- Soften 1/4 cup raspberry jam in the microwave, spread on each cake layer, except for the top.
- Place a small amount of icing on the serving plate and put down the first layer, this will help keep the cake in place. Spread a generous amount of icing on each layer, placing once on top of the other until the dreamy pistachio cake tower is complete. Sprinkle the finished cake with festive edible glitter, confetti or sprinkles.
Enjoy with friends and family.
xx
