This Cake is going to turn heads! Rich decadent chocolate cake slathered in light, creamy pistachio frosting. It looks beautiful & tastes delicious. A luscious chocolate ganache rests on top of the cake with a ring of crushed pistachios encasing it. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream!
It's almost time for our 2nd big occasion of the year- The Bakra Eid! Just a few days to go & we all enter into the festivities along with all the religious rituals and prayers to do. Alhumdulilah, despite not having another great year, yet we are Thankful to the Al Mighty for getting us through in good shape and health & hope we keep going in life with our faiths and hopes high as ever.
Keeping the above in mind, i thought why not bring to you all a wonder cake recipe that you all can probably try and make for your Eid party. Let me tell you this cake is just the party cake you'd ever wana make. It's everything- rich-decadent-chocolaty-&-very frosty!
This is a mega chocolate cake! So full of rich chocolaty goodness but balanced with a light pistachio buttercream. It’s perfection.
While this chocolate pistachio cake looks extravagant and difficult, it’s actually really simple. The chocolate batter contains both cocoa powder and melted chocolate which is enhanced with some strong brewed coffee. If you’d rather not add coffee to the cake, you can replace it with buttermilk.
After you bake the chocolate cake layers, it’s time to cover them with frosting. I am loving this pistachio frosting. It’s incredible.
You need unsalted shelled pistachios and a strong food processor. All you have to do is grind the pistachios into a paste. I had bought it from the store earlier when i tried making pistachio cupcakes so i used the same here too.
Make a basic vanilla buttercream frosting and stir the pistachio paste in at the very end. I like to add a drop of green food coloring also, but this is totally optional.
Make sure the cake is completely cool then spread some frosting in between each layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Finish the cake with chocolate ganache and crushed pistachios.
Chocolate Pistachio Cake
yield: 24 SERVINGS prep time: 25 MINUTES cook time: 50 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
This layered Chocolate Pistachio Cake will turn heads! Rich decadent chocolate cake slathered in light, creamy pistachio frosting. It looks just as good as it tastes. A luscious chocolate ganache rests on top of the cake with a ring of crushed pistachios encasing it. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream!
Ingredients
For The Cake
2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (57 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pans
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (113 g) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk
½ cup (120 ml) strong brewed coffee, cooled
For The Frosting
1 ½ cups (184 g) unsalted pistachios, shelled - Note 1
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1-2 drops green food coloring
1 cup (123 g) unsalted pistachios, shelled and chopped for garnish
For The Ganache
200g DCC
225ml Heavy cream
Instructions
Make The Cake
Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray 3 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray or you can use a cake tin as i have done here. Line the bottoms with parchment paper cut into a circle to fit the pan. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray and (dust the pan lightly with cocoa powder if you please). Tap out any excess and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk and set aside.
Add the chocolate to a small heatproof bowl and set it over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir continuously until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together on medium-low speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated. With the mixer set to low speed. gradually add half the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk and coffee, and then the remaining flour mixture. Beat just until combined. The batter will be thick.
Divide the batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans if you are going to bake them separately and if using just a tin then pour the batter all in one. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter all the way to the edges of the pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few dry crumbs. Cool the cake in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely. Peel the parchment paper off the bottoms before filling.
Make The Frosting
In a food processor, process the pistachios until they become coarsely ground. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the oil if the pistachios aren't breaking down easily. Continue to blend for 25-30 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed throughout the process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the cream, vanilla, and salt. Continue to beat until incorporated.
Add 2 cups of confectioner's sugar, beat on medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened. Gradually add in the remaining sugar, one cup at a time. You may need more or less depending on how soft the butter is. Beat on medium-low speed until the sugar is moistened. Turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the pistachio paste and food coloring. Mix until well combined. I have used a couple spoonful of the pictachio spread to add more flavor but that's completely optional.
Assemble The Cake
Place one cake layer onto a serving platter. Add a generous amount of frosting and spread it to the edge with a spatula. Repeat with a second cake layer, topping it with a generous amount of frosting. Add the third cake layer and cover the top and sides of the cake with frosting. Press chopped pistachios into the sides of the cake near the bottom and coming up less than halfway. Sprinkle pistachios over the outer edge on top of the cake creating a 1-inch border. Set the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Make The Ganache
Heat the cream to boiling point and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Allow to rest for a few seconds and gently start to stir until all is silky smooth.
Spoon the ganache over the top of the cake in the center of the pistachio border. Use the back of the spoon to create a smooth layer of ganache. Set the cake back into the freezer for 10 minutes. Or, pipe your ganache to avoid the mess and just pour it to completely cover the center of the cake. You may also want to drizzle it around the edges of the cake to add more beauty to it & chocolate is always welcome as you know.
Notes
You can use dry roasted or raw pistachios. The roasted pistachios will have a stronger flavor.
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