This gorgeous cake is the perfect cake for birthday parties, especially if you like pistachio. To make this cake, you will need some basic baking knowledge, but don’t worry; I will guide you step-by-step to make this amazing cake with this recipe. Slice into 10 servings, I bet everyone will think that it is a store-bought cake. Imagine the look on everyone’s faces when you tell them that you made it.
My son’s birthday is coming soon, and I always struggle to find that perfect birthday cake. So, this year, I decided to make one, something special for my son. Chocolate cake is the first thing that comes to my mind because my son loves chocolate, but I wanted to add something different and healthy. Pistachios are the perfect addition, and the ingredients complement each other.
Two layers of amazing chocolate sponge, sandwiched with chocolate ganache, with pistachio buttercream, and topped with pistachio nuts. It even sounds delicious. If you love chocolate like me, don’t be afraid to add more chocolate to it, melt some and pour it on top. Ice cream is also a great pair for this cake.
Ingredients for Chocolate Pistachio Cake
For the chocolate sponge cakes:
7 ounces caster sugar
7 ounces butter
4 large eggs
7 ounces self-rising flour
1.8 oz. cocoa powder
1/3 cup black coffee (freshly brewed)
For the buttercream:
8.8 oz. butter (softened)
16 oz. icing sugar
3.5 oz. pistachios (finely ground)
For the ganache:
½ cup double cream
½ cup milk chocolate (finely chopped)
½ cup dark chocolate (finely chopped)
To decorate:
2.6 oz. pistachios (chopped)
How to Make Chocolate Pistachio Cake
To bake the cake; first, pre-heat your oven to 320F, then with greaseproof paper, line two 6-inch cake tins. Whisk together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth, beat in the eggs until the mix is creamy. Into the bowl, sift the cocoa powder and flour and fold through until fully incorporated. Lastly, stir through the coffee. Into the tins, pour the cake mix, and bake until a skewer comes out clean (35-45 minutes). Allow to cool for 10 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack.
To decorate; beat the butter until creamy. Add the icing sugar and ground pistachios and gently beat until smooth and spreadable. On to a cake board or a cake plate, spread a small amount and place the first sponge layer on top. Using a piping bag with a round nozzle, pipe blobs on the outer rim of the sponge cake.
Heat the cream until simmering, then stir in the chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate has completely melted. While stirring regularly, allow the ganache to cool until its spreadable.
On top of your base layer cake, spoon some of the ganache up to the piped ring of buttercream and over the ganache, sprinkle half of the pistachios. On top of the buttercream/ganache, place the second layer of sponge and gently press down. On to the top of the cake, spoon a third of the buttercream, then spread the buttercream using a spatula until smooth on top and gently ease it down the sides of the cake. Put the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes once the whole cake is covered in one smooth layer.
Add a second layer of buttercream and make smooth out the edges. Gently reheat the ganache if it has become firm while you’ve been icing, frequently stirring to make sure it stays smooth. Make drips over the edge of the cake using a teaspoon. Next, spoon the ganache on top and gently ease right up to the edge until smooth. Sprinkle over the remaining chopped pistachios, serve, and enjoy.
To see other recipes for Chocolate Pistachio Cake, check out:
https://www.bakedbyanintrovert.com/chocolate-pistachio-cake/
http://supperinthesuburbs.com/2018/04/29/chocolate-and-pistachio-cake/
https://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/c/chocolate_pistachio_torte.html#_
