This pistachio cake with honey vanilla buttercream frosting is a true celebration cake – with a light crumb and a delectable frosting, it’s the kind of cake that you will never forget after that first bite.
pistachio cake with honey vanilla buttercream

This cake is just not a good listener.

I started out every morning for the past six days explaining to it that, yes, we’d had a good run but it was time to go our separate ways. Say adieu. Run away and never look back.

And then the end of the night would come and there it was. In my belly. Showing absolutely no remorse for its sordid ways.

IMG_5587

And, well…what is a birthday girl to do but go along with these ridiculous antics?

(And shovel as much of it into her mouth as possible before birthday week is over)?

IMG_5575

I’m so glad we agree.

And yes, in case you were wondering, this is going to be THE wedding cake! Made by the fabulous Baked boys themselves.

I fell hard for it at first bite when we tried it out in their bakery. It just has all the things that good wedding cakes are made of: a light, tender crumb with pistachio crumbs scattered throughout and smothered in a honey vanilla buttercream to tie it all together.

Simple, sweet, classic.

And the best part is that I can make it for us myself, whenever we want. So that even though we’re probably only going to remember to eat one bite at the wedding, I can rest assured that I have had my fill this past week. And then some.

IMG_5533

One of the best parts of birthday week is getting surprises in the mail (actually, that’s the best part of any week) and one of my favorite surprises was my Food Blogger Cookbook Swap present! Oh, you don’t know what the Food Blogger Cookbook Swap is? Let me tell you. Basically, everyone who signs up gets paired with another blogger and is set with the task of choosing a lightly used cookbook to send them that will align with their food preferences. And so, in addition to sending a cookbook, everyone also receives a new cookbook! To be honest, I’m not sure which is more fun…getting a new cookbook or figuring out just which cookbook from my collection would be perfect to send to someone else. Both rewarding in their own way.

artisan breadMy pair was Hannah of Blue Kale Road. I noticed that she posted a lot of Middle Eastern and Indian-spice infused meals, so I chose to send her One Spice, Two Spice: American Food, Indian Flavors, which I’ve made a few things from that I really loved. In return, Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories sent me Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, which I love. I haven’t had a chance to bake anything from it yet, but it is pretty perfect as I often put off bread baking since I feel like I don’t have the time to wait for dough to rise, though I do love having a homemade loaf on the counter. With this book, I’ll get the best of both worlds…so thank you, Karen!

I truly hope this is more than just a one-time event because I really had a lot of fun with it! Thanks to Alyssa of www.EverydayMaven.com and Faith of http://www.anediblemosaic.com for hosting this fabulous event!

Be sure to check out the blogs of others who participated to see what they swapped and got in return!

A Baker’s HouseAn Edible Mosaicavocado bravadoBlue Kale RoadBlueberries And BlessingsCheap Recipe BlogConfessions of a Culinary DivaCreate Amazing MealsCucina KristinaCulinary Adventures with CamillaCupcake ProjectDinner is Served 1972Done With CornEveryday MavenFlour Me With Love From My Sweet Heart girlichef Great Food 360° Healthy. Delicious. I’m Gonna Cook That! Je Mange la Ville Karen’s Kitchen Stories Kitchen Treaty Olive and Herb , OnTheMove-In The Galley Our Best Bites Paleo Gone Sassy , poet in the pantry Rhubarb and Honey Rocky Mountain CookingShikha la mode Shockingly Delicious , Sifting Focus Spiceroots , Spoonful of Flavor Tara’s Multicultural Table The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler The Suburban Soapbox The Whole Family’s Food 

IMG_5601

Two years ago…Lentil-Pomegranate Stew with Spinach and Raisins

Three years ago…Spaghetti and Spaghetti Squash with Lemon-Garlic Sauce and Ricotta

Four years ago…Sesame Noodle Salad with Dried Pineapple

Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream
 
This pistachio cake with honey vanilla buttercream frosting is a true celebration cake - with a light crumb and a delectable frosting, it's the kind of cake that you will never forget after that first bite.
Yield: 1 triple layer 8-inch cake
Ingredients
For the cake
  • 1 cup shelled pistachios
  • 2½ cups cake flour
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1¾ cups sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
For the buttercream
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • ⅓ cup flour
  • 1½ cups milk
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 1½ cups unsalted butter, soft, cut into small pieces
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp honey
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325. Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pistachio meat until it is coarsely chopped. Remove 2 tbsp to a small bowl. Pulse the remaining pistachios until they have almost a powder-like consistency. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk together both the roughly chopped and fine pistachios with the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter in the stand mixer for 3 minutes. Add in the sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the egg and mix until just combined.
  4. Turn the mixer to low. Pour 1½ cups ice water into a measuring cup. Add the flour/pistachio mix to the batter in three additions, alternating with the ice water, mixing each time until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
  5. In a medium, clean bowl whisk together the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
  6. Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Flip the cakes out of the pans, onto the rack and let cool completely before frosting. Remove parchment paper from the bottoms.
  7. For the buttercream, in a medium heavy saucepan, whisk together the flour and sugar. Add in the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil and then thickens, 10-15 minutes.
  8. Transfer the hot milk mixture to a stand mixer bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on high speed until cool, about 9 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is full incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, a few minutes.
  9. Add in the vanilla and honey and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, chill it and mix again.
  10. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer top side up on a serving platter. Use a long serrated knife to cut the top so that it is flat and even. Spread a little over a cup of frosting on top. Add the next later and, again, trim so that it is flat. Top with another cup of frosting. Add the remaining cake layer and trim the top again. Spread cake with a very thin layer of frosting for the crumb coating. Put in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Spread the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate as desired.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 slice

IMG_5585

blog_share_subscribe
Share →

203 Responses to Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream

  1. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others The Gluten Free Chef Blog  Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food […]

  2. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven (Thanks for hosting us!) Flour Me With Love From My Sweet Heart girlichef Healthy. […]

  3. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food 360°  Healthy. […]

  4. What a cake! I’m so glad you gave us a preview before the wedding – and your taste buds and stomach a preview before the wedding. After all, you have to test it out properly 😉 It looks really, really lovely.

    Happy birthday again, too!

  5. […] Amazing Meals Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food […]

  6. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food 360°  I’m […]

  7. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food 360°  Healthy. […]

  8. Kathryn says:

    Such a beautiful cake! I can totally see why you went for this as THE wedding cake.

  9. Loving your wedding cake – so pretty and I’m sure absolutely delicious!

  10. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food 360°  Healthy. […]

  11. What a gorgeous cake! I looooove, looooove pistachio and know that I would fall hard for this cake. Great choice for your b’day cake – and your wedding cake! Yay!

  12. […] Adventures with Camilla | Cupcake Project | Dinner is Served 1972 | Done With Corn | Eats Well With Others | Everyday Maven | Flour Me With Love | From My Sweet Heart  | girlichef  | Great Food […]

  13. This sounds amazing and looks gorgeous! Pistachio is probably my favorite ice cream party because I like to set it soak into white cake … I’d have to skip the ice cream step with this and just eat delicious cake, so this is practically a health food. Right? Right.

  14. oooh baby the cake we’ve been waiting for! Sweet pistachio things rock.
    Hope you had a great birthday week!

  15. Look how amazing this cake looks! Would it be wrong if I stalked the cake the entire time at your wedding?

  16. Taylor Kiser says:

    Honey, vanilla, pistachio and cake in one sentence?
    Ummm I <3 you. Pinned!

  17. Monica says:

    Such a pretty cake and I love the pistachio flavor. The color combination of pale green and white is one of my favorites and makes me think of weddings (maybe because my own bouquet was that color scheme : ). It’s going to be amazing.

  18. I might just have to steal your cake idea–haha! This combination looks amazing! So beautiful–and yeah, you deserve to shovel as much of it in your mouth as possible. Especially on birthday week. I feel like cake “shopping” might be my favorite part of wedding planning 🙂

  19. Oh boy I could eat this cake up in days!! I see why you picked it as your wedding cake!!

  20. Teffy says:

    Yeey I’ve been waiting for this recipe, and I can happily say it does not disappoint!

    Looks so so good. I love pistachios, so this cake is definitely for me – plus, you know, I can try and convince myself it’s good for me. After all, pistachios are healthy! Right? Does that work?

    {Teffy’s Perks} X

  21. Lynn says:

    That will be a perfect cake for your wedding. As I so often say – wish I had some now!

  22. Victoria says:

    I remember the birthday cake you made (also from Baked!) for your birthday a couple years ago… and I remember that lovely sushi dinner we had beforehand with your family. I remember that evening very fondly, and I was so thrilled to be able to share it with you.

    This is a lovely choice for your wedding cake, my sweet! I’m so happy for you. Happy belated birthday. I wish I could have tried a slice of this myself! xoxoxo

  23. Always love a delicious cake! I’ve never tried pistachio cake, but I’m obsessed with pistachios so I would love this!

  24. This is a gorgeous cake and I bet it tastes amazing with that pistachio flavor and texture. I’d never think to make a cake of pistachios! I’ll have to try this, since my boyfriend is obsessed with pistachios! Great recipe as always!

  25. Josie says:

    Happy happy birthday, Joanne! I made this as my birthday cake a few years ago, and I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said about it! And how jealous am I that the Baked boys are making your wedding cake???

  26. omg I want this to be my wedding cake!!!!!!

  27. I die. This might just be favorite cake in all of the world!!! I have a soft spot for all things pistachio and all things cake. It’s a match made in heaven.

  28. Kinsey says:

    Look at those layers of frosting! I just want to dig into a slice of that. I hope your birthday was as incredible as that cake looks!

  29. This looks delicious! I’m intrigued by the honey vanilla buttercream – that will be making an appearance on one of my cakes soon!

  30. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food 360°  Healthy. […]

  31. Abby says:

    What a beautiful cake!! I love that now you’ll be able to make it anytime you want and relive that special day. And happy birthday!

  32. Meg says:

    This cake looks and sounds absolutely amazing, and I’m sure it will be a huge hit at your wedding! Yes, the joke is that we spend all this time selecting baked goods for our big day . . . and, well, you barely remember a thing. After much debate, we settled on an almond cake for ours (the guests had cupcakes in chocolate, vanilla, spice, orange, etc.), and I couldn’t even tell you what that cake tasted like. Sheesh!

  33. You make the most gorgeous looking cakes! I’m crazy over this flavor combo…need to try it asap. 🙂

  34. Corina says:

    What a beautiful cake -It’ll be lovely as a wedding cake.

  35. Erica says:

    Wow it’s beautiful, nice choice! I never understood that whole, “I didn’t remember to eat on my wedding day.” thing. I ate every course of our dinner and 3 pieces of our wedding cake!!

  36. Happy Birthday! What a great choice of a cake. I’ve had my eye on this recipe for the longest time and now really, really need to try it. It will make a beautiful wedding cake too!

  37. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food 360°  Healthy. […]

  38. Rose says:

    Happy birthday week! What a beautiful cake, it looks absolutely delicious. 😀 I’m a huge fan of pistachios for savory and sweet dishes.

  39. Deena kakaya says:

    Mmm, the ingredients fir this cake remind me if shrikhand, which is hung curd which is sweetned…this can only be a delicious relationship x

  40. Oh good golly wow! Theres NO way this cake would have lasted 6 whole days in my house! WOW it’s gorgeous and so glad you will be able to enjoy this again and again and again after yalls wedding…this gives me an excuse to come to visit – right? 🙂

  41. Hannah says:

    This is a stunning cake! The pistachio and honey together sounds just wonderful. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! It is wonderful to meet you through this cookbook swap. Thank you for choosing such a thoughtful, delicious one for me. I can’t wait to dive in!

  42. If this were my wedding cake, I’d be so stoked – love pistachios so much! Your decorating job is spot on!

  43. Pam says:

    Stunning! Seriously – it looks so pretty AND delicious. Perfect for a birthday cake and a wedding cake. YUM.

  44. Erika says:

    Joanne this cake is incredible..

  45. Monique says:

    That looks beautiful!
    Why don’t I just hire you to make my wedding cake??? Is that possible? 🙂

  46. Susan says:

    This is going to be one amazing wedding cake. You can’t beat anything made from the boys from Baked and of course it was a great way to celebrate your birthday this week too!

  47. Happy Birthday Week!! (sorry..I’m a bit behind as usual 🙂 ) You definitely picked the perfect cake for your wedding!

  48. Kate says:

    It’s almost like a baklava cake!

  49. My husband just asked, “When are you going to be Leftovers Club partners again with the girl who made those chocolate sandwich cookies?” – then I showed him this cake…now he’s REALLY wondering when. 🙂

  50. The flavors remind me of a Persian Love Cake. Looks fab!

  51. So dreamy and beautiful! This is a perfect layered cake, Joanne. The cookbook swap sounds really fun.

  52. Oh yes!!! I LOVE this flavour for your wedding cake! It’s going to be spectacular!!

  53. This cake is GORGEOUS. like…crazy beautiful. so stunning! How many adjectives for pretty can I think of?

  54. Oh my god I want to get married all over again so I can have this cake! Pistachio and vanilla is such an elegant combination. Our wedding cake was hazelnut and coffee flavored, made by a local bakery…I can still taste it, but sadly I didn’t get the recipe, how lucky you are, girl!

  55. Absolutely love this! Such a great flavor combination!

  56. P says:

    Looks like you made the perfect choice for your wedding cake =)
    Enjoy the rest of birthday week ;)!

  57. Hotly Spiced says:

    That is definitely a cake fit for a wedding. It’s stunning. I love the piped icing and the little pearls and the pistachios give the cake a pretty colour. That recipe swap sounds like a great idea xx

  58. Megan says:

    Gorgeous! And a great wedding cake choice. I’d have gotten my cake from Baked if we lived anywhere near there! I have often thought of making this cake because Jeff loves pistachio pudding cake (made with box yellow cake mix and pistachio pudding mix), so I’d really love to make this from-scratch pistachio cake and get him to move on from the box mixes!

  59. I can’t believe you’re getting a Baked wedding cake!!!! I am legit jealous. Also, this flavour sounds too good to be true!

  60. This is the wedding cake??? I am in love with this! This looks SO good! I think I would scarf it down in one sitting 😉

  61. Emma says:

    So excited for you that you’ve found THE cake!! It looks spectacular and I love that it’s different to the norm.
    I definitely don’t blame you for wanting to get as much in your belly as you can 😉

  62. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  girlichef  Great Food 360°  Healthy. Delicious.  I’m […]

  63. Holy beautifully delicious looking. Can you please send me a slice?

  64. this is the kind of cake that I would have 2 slices of and in preparation of said 2 slices I would happily workout longer at the gym and have extra raw beet juice in the am.
    easily!
    gorgeous cake J

  65. cheri says:

    This cake is amazing! I can see why you’ve been eating it daily. Beautiful cake for your wedding.

  66. We hope you had a delicious Birthday Week Joanne! This pistachio cake looks gorgeous and perfect for your wedding. Very elegant choice 🙂
    Cheers,
    J+C

  67. Foodiewife says:

    Great Scott! This is one gorgeous cake. You made that?! I’m sooooooooooo impressed.
    ABin5 is one of my favorite cookbooks. I’ve made the master recipe, multiple times. You will love it!

  68. First, the cake is amazing! A belated Happy Birthday to the smartest girl we know! And, third, the book swap looks like a lot of fun, and a great way to meet new people! Great idea, Thanks, Joanne!

  69. What an amazing cake! Can’t wait to see your bread! Happy to meet you!

  70. Tara says:

    Such a beautiful cake! I don’t have Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, but I have heard great things.

  71. Holly says:

    Oh what a cake! Perfect for a birthday or a wedding too, definitely a celebration cake. Glad to have found your blog through this Swap. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.

  72. Blond Duck says:

    Anything pistachio is tasty!

  73. Not sure what I like more, the cake or the book you got! Cannot wait for you to share a bread recipe 🙂

  74. Woot woot! It’s the long awaited pistachio cake recipe! I was wondering when you’d post. Now, pistachio flavored things are not always my cup of tea, but I think I’ll take your word on how amazing this cake and make this STAT! And that way I can feel like I’m sort of celebrating with you at your wedding? 🙂

  75. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love From My Sweet Heart girlichef  Great Food 360° Healthy. […]

  76. Thank you so much for participating in the swap and helping to make it a success!

    And your wedding cake…oh WOW! What a cake…I love the flavors and wish I could sneak a forkfull right now. 😉

  77. Veronica says:

    Pinned it before commenting! You have a way with layer cakes – it’s just beautiful. Great choice for your wedding cake!

  78. This cake is actually incredible beyond belief my friend, it is so professional 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  79. Done done done. This is so going to be my birthday cake this year! Pistachios are my favorite!!

  80. Betty says:

    Cake during your birthday week is calorie free, so I’ve heard. (Wedding day cake as well.) It does look divine. 🙂 Happy Birthday!

  81. debbie says:

    I don’t think you could have possibly picked a better wedding cake. It looks fantastic. I just pinned this myself. Great choice!

  82. Christine says:

    Once again, the happiest of birthdays! May the coming year bring only happiness and joy! 🙂
    And that’s one helluva cake, yum!

  83. Adriana says:

    So happy to have found your site through the cookbook swap. You did an amazing job with that cake!

  84. wow, that cake looks delicious, the honey frosting stole my heart!

  85. I need this cake in my life! But see, you have to freeze the leftovers, so that in a month when you’ve had a crappy day and it’s still below zero outside you can take comfort in this fabulous cake. Definitely wedding worthy!

  86. SeattleDee says:

    This cake is amazing, totally irresistible. The swapped book may not be a showstopper, but I think you’ll find having a tub of dough chilling out in the fridge an easy way to put fresh bread into your kitchen (as long as the fridge has space for a permanent resident).

  87. pinned! i need to make this! maybe for my birthday?! 🙂

  88. Phew! You had me worried at first. When you said that you ‘were parting ways’ I thought you might be referring to you and ‘the boy.’ This cake looks great and I’m wondering if you did all the fancy piping on the cake or was that the cake done by the ‘Baked’ boys?

  89. Christy says:

    I can see how this cake is not a good listener. I’m telling it that it is not on my diet, and it is telling me to run to the market and make it today. I may succumb to cake pressure soon!

    So glad to have found you through the cookbook exchange!

  90. Joanne, I have Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes and you are going to LOVE it – great book! Thanks so much for participating and helping to make the swap a success!

  91. Oh this looks scrumptious. I love pistachio.

  92. Oh my gosh, this cake looks amazing!

  93. Esi says:

    O. M. G. Some of my favorite flavors. This sounds like the best wedding cake ever

  94. Corri says:

    Love this cake! I’d really like to make these for my Oscars party but as cupcakes. Do you think that would work and how long should I bake them for?

    • joanne says:

      Yes, you can definitely turn these into cupcakes! The bakery that I got the cake recipe from actually makes them as both cake and cupcakes, so it’s totally doable. I would start checking them for doneness (toothpick inserted coming out clean) after 15 minutes, and then just watch them after that if they’re not done (maybe check at 20 minutes, then 22 minutes, 24 minutes, etc.).

  95. Hannah says:

    My deep deep love for pistachio means that this stupid cake is making me cry about being single I DON’T CARE THAT I CAN MAKE IT MYSELF I’m so alone.

  96. rebecca says:

    wow what a cake and cool you can make it will be a fun way to bring back happy memories in your future

  97. cquek says:

    Ahh they’re so pretty! And delicious too, I’m sure.

  98. Barbara says:

    I just KNEW it had to be pistachio! Double yum!
    And Happy Birthday, Joanne!

  99. […] with Camilla ● Cupcake Project ● Dinner is Served 1972 ● Done With Corn ● Eats Well With Others ● Everyday Maven ● Flour Me With Love ● From My Sweet Heart ● girlichef […]

  100. grace says:

    i don’t eat pistachios enough in any form, especially in cakes! this is a masterpiece, joanne!

  101. THE wedding cake!? Woot! This sounds like the perfect cake…pistachios and honey are a match made in heaven!

  102. Pistachios are my favorite, I don’t know why I never tried them in cake but I’m sure they are going to amazing! This cake looks awesome Joanne!

  103. Awesome! You caught me by the word Pistachio! Loving every bit of it.

  104. Jess says:

    The cake looks amazing, Joanne! Love pistachio cakes and the your recipe looks so moist and buttery! Stunning photos as ever too! 🙂

  105. That blogger cookbook swap sounds so fun! Also I could NOT wait to see this cake after your Wed. teaser. It looks and sounds amazing Joann!

  106. Susan says:

    This looks delicious and great choice, I might add. It was my favorite part of the wedding cake at the last wedding we attended. I’m so glad to have a recipe so I can try making it myself.

    Happy Belated Birthday, Joanne!

  107. gloria says:

    This cake look wonderful Joanne!!
    Happy belated birthday Joanne!!

  108. I love this because you can make it for Mike every year for your anniversary! I can’t wait to TASTE it!! xo

  109. I love the idea of having one of your favourite cakes made for your wedding but also being one you can make for yourself any time you want! It looks great and I’m glad to hear you treated yourself well for your birthday week!

  110. What a way to celebrate! I’ve never met a cake that listens so I can’t say that I’m surprised—they’re such temptresses! Congrats of landing your wedding cake! Glad you didn’t decided to make your own on your big day, I’m crazy for considering it myself, lol. Happy belated, beautiful!

  111. ramblingtart says:

    Oh my lands, Joanne, this cake looks so delicious. 🙂 And I love the natural colors of it, so soft and gentle. 🙂

  112. Johanna GGG says:

    wow that looks amazing – and so fantastic you love that cake enough to eat it for your birthday and your wedding – what better recommendation can you give for a cake

  113. Oh my oh my oh my!!!! I need to pin this! What a wonderful combo of flavors!! Soooooo good! Beautiful job decorating it as well!

  114. What a special cake! Love that you will get to enjoy this not only at your wedding but also able to create it whenever the mode strikes. So fun, and inspiring me to perfect our strawberry wedding cake.

  115. This looks so good! I just made a pistachio cake last week. Great minds, right?

  116. Reeni says:

    So very beautiful! I love that you can make your own wedding cake! It’s pretty darn dreamy. I might have to make it myself and pretend I’m getting married. 🙂

  117. Danielle says:

    I love pistachios and I can honestly say I’ve never had a pistachio cake. Sounds Amazing!!!! Would make a perfect wedding cake! LOVE!!! : ) YUM!

  118. Can I get married so I can enjoy this fabulous cake too?? Ahhh it is perfection in every way. It looks amazing <3

  119. Shannon says:

    i’m glad i can make this cake, too 🙂 and you’ll certainly remember to have at least one bite at the wedding! i’m sure you’ll enjoy the meal, too!

  120. […] Amazing Meals Cucina Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food 360°  Healthy. […]

  121. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food 360°  Healthy. […]

  122. […] Amazing MealsCucina KristinaCulinary Adventures with CamillaCupcake ProjectDinner is Served 1972Eats Well With OthersEveryday MavenFlour Me With Love From My Sweet Heart girlichef Great Food […]

  123. Cair says:

    This looks incredible. Say someone, ahem, me, didn’t have eight inch cake pans, How would you handle it? I have 2 9-inch, could I bake in those? Would they be too full? Would you split the 9″ layers for frosting? So many questions that seem worth if for this incredible looking cake.

    • joanne says:

      I think you can definitely bake the cake in two 9-inch pans! I think the only thing to watch would be the cooking time…it might take a tad bit longer since the layers will be thicker, but maybe not…you just have to check on it every five minutes or so after the recommended baking time!

      The cake will be delicious either as a two layer cake or a four layer cake, so whether you split the layers for frosting is totally up to you!! Depends on how much extra work you want to make for yourself…I always find splitting cake layers to be vaguely terrifying. 😛

    • Nicole says:

      Cair, just curious how you made out with the two 9″ pans? I’d like to do the same thing and wondered if you were successful? How long did you bake? Thanks!

  124. elly says:

    I have had this cake saved since josie made it back in the day and I still haven’t gotten around to it. 🙁 I think I need a wedding do-over so that I can have it made for me. 🙂 What a great wedding cake! Don’t be surprised if I crash your wedding…

  125. […] Eats Well With Others: Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream […]

  126. This cake looks ridiculously delicious. And how cool (and dangerous!) that you’ll be able to re-live your wedding cake any time you want! I aaaaaalmost signed up for that cookbook swap. Next time!

  127. Courtney says:

    Pistachios in desserts are my weakness. I think this is going to be the perfect wedding cake! Also, the only time we’ve been to NYC, Eric and I made it a point to visit Baked. I was nerdily excited. Also, I met Dorie freaking Greenspan on that trip, too. We need to go back.

  128. […] Pistachio Cake with Honey-Vanilla Buttercream by Eats Well With Others […]

  129. […] Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream from Eats Well With Others […]

  130. lesia says:

    For the buttercream, when you say sugar, do you me confectioners or regular?

  131. […] Kristina Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cupcake Project Dinner is Served 1972 Done With Corn Eats Well With Others Everyday Maven Flour Me With Love  From My Sweet Heart  girlichef  Great Food […]

  132. Wow. I just made this cake and it was a huge hit. Thanks for sharing it with us!

  133. Michelle says:

    This cake looks amazing and I know my daughter would adore it – she loves pistachios! Just wanted to clarify, the pistachios are raw and unsalted, yes? The shelled ones in my grocery store are roasted and salted, and I’m thinking that’s not what you mean for this recipe. Can you confirm?

    • joanne says:

      I actually did use roasted and salted (in-shell) nuts for this because that’s what I had on hand. I didn’t feel like the salt on the nuts did much to change the flavor of the cake, but they might if they were salted AND already shelled because then the whole outside would be covered in salt. You can use in-shell pistachios to reduce the salt per nut but the shelling really is a pain (but worth it). I know both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods sell just unsalted roasted pistachio meat!

  134. Silvia says:

    I have been searching for a REAL pistachio cake and my search led to you! This looks incredible. I will do a test run for sure. So do you recommend roasting or raw pistchios? Thank you for sharing this amazong cake!

    • joanne says:

      It is a GREAT cake, so I hope you enjoy it. It is actually going to be my wedding cake, that’s how much I love it!

      I would use roasted pistachios! They have a better depth of flavor.

  135. Sofía says:

    Hi Joanne! I did this cake today and the buttercream frosting didn’t come out as thick as your frosting in the picture, I don’t know what to do to fix it, I live in a really hot city so maybe the butter was too soft when I was mixing it with the sugar and flour, and also, I used almond milk instead of regular milk, I don’t know if that also could have changed the texture.

    I need your help!!!
    Thanks.

    • joanne says:

      I’m so sorry you’re having trouble with this!

      Did you mix the butter in after you added the milk or before?

      In all likelihood, the mixture is too warm. I would put it in the fridge for a half hour or so (or until the morning if it’s late where you are) and then mix it again. After chilling, it should come together and thicken just fine!

      • Sofía says:

        I mixed the butter after I added the milk, I left it on the fridge all night and it’s looking more like the consistency I was looking for, thank you for your advice! Hope it tastes as good as it looks 😀

  136. […] Adventures with Camilla ? Dinner is Served 1972 ? Done With Corn ? Eats Well With Others ? Everyday Maven ? Flour Me With Love ? From My Sweet Heart ? girlichef ? Great […]

  137. Mary Ann says:

    Hi, I have a question about the 2T of rough chopped pistachios. Where do they go? If I am missing this step I apologize but I can’t find what I need to do with them after putting them in a small bowl. Thank you!

  138. Sofía says:

    Hi Joanne!!!
    The cake turned out really good! Thanks for the recipe, I published it on my blog 🙂 See you around.

  139. Silvia says:

    Made this over the weekend except it was a gluten free version. As the buttercream had flour, changed that too. The GF version was fairly dense. Im waiting for feedback from the requestor….I would like to try again using the with gluten recipe.

  140. Silvia says:

    The verdict is in – the Gluten Free birthday guy declared this cake his very favorite cake of all time. How is that for endorsement!? (I used Cloud 9 gluten free flour – and make my own cake flour from it to try and keep the cake density as intended by the orignal recipe). Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!

  141. […] back to my search…I came across this cake made with honey vanilla buttercream on Joanne Eats Well With Others…and I got excited! But of course upon reading the recipe I realised that yes indeed, sugar […]

  142. […] This moist, dense cake has a pistachio base and layered with vanilla buttercream.  A confectionery dream!  Recipe HERE […]

  143. Julia says:

    This cake is incredible. I made it today and it’s fabulous. Thank you for sharing. I do have one question though, I want to share it with my parents coming in to town in a few days. Do you think it will freeze well? How should I store it?

  144. Terrianne says:

    Hi Joanne,

    Thank you for posting such a unique and beautiful cake. I look forward to making it very soon. I do have one question–does it matter what kind of flour to use in the buttercream?

    –Regards <3

  145. Terrianne says:

    Hi Joanne,

    I made this cake yesterday and…Wow! I can see why you would want this as your wedding cake. The cake itself is light and delicious. I love pistachios. The buttercream is killer. I was not familiar with this technique and, hitherto, neither my husband or me liked buttercream. In fact, we rather despised it. Thanks again. This will go into my recipe index. <3

  146. […] OF COURSE the cake tasted amazing since it was a recipe from the king of cakes, Baked. See here for the […]

  147. Vicki von kaenel says:

    Do you use salted or unsalted pistachios? I want to make this beautiful cake this weekend. Thank you

  148. […] KristinaCulinary Adventures with CamillaCupcake ProjectDinner is Served 1972Done With CornEats Well With OthersEveryday MavenFlour Me With Love From My Sweet Heart girlichef Great Food […]

  149. Shirlee says:

    Great recipe – pistachio is my friend’s favorite cake and I wanted to make it for her birthday, and the only one I could find without using pudding mix. One thing I noticed was that the cake did seem a little dry, but I messed up and didn’t whip the egg whites , so that may have had something to do with it. I also didn’t pulverize the nuts as much as the recipe called for because I was in a rush and didn’t want to get out the food processor (used a hand chopper), but I actually did like the crunchy nutty texture and flavor throughout. Thanks for publishing this recipe!

  150. Ellie says:

    WOW! this honey vanilla buttercream is fantastic! Like can’t-help-but-lick-the-bowl-and-spatula delicious.

    Also, something I’ve experienced when making buttercream is that it tends to look separated/curdled for a minute, but if you just keep beating it, it will all come together.

  151. […] made some delicious pistachio honey cupcakes for me. So […]

  152. Yessenia says:

    Hi there, I just made this cake and it is absolutely marvellous!!! The cake was perfect but my frosting failed. The flavor of the frosting was just right but it was runny so I chilled as directed, then whipped again but then it got runny and curdled looking. I’m sure I messed up somewhere or maybe my house was too hot. What do you think?

    • joanne says:

      I’m so glad you liked the cake, but am SO sorry about the frosting! Swiss meringue buttercreams can be kind of finicky. When you whipped it the second time did it ever get to be frosting consistency? Sometimes if you whip too much, this can happen. I always just chill again, and keep whipping. It will eventually come together!

    • Nicola Tran says:

      The same thing happened to me too. Did you ever figure out why it did that? The first time I made the frosting it worked perfectly, but then the second and third time it had that curdled appearance too. I can’t figure out what the difference was. One thing I noticed when it curdled, was that the whole thing looked very glossy too. As if there was too much fat content. Maybe because I used a whole milk instead of 2% milk?

      • joanne says:

        Hi Nicola, I’m sorry you’re having such inconsistent results with this! This kind of frosting can be a little bit finicky. The “curdling” look can happen when the butter or fats aren’t fully emulsified or mixed into the other ingredients. That might happen if the butter isn’t the same temperature as the rest of the frosting (most likely too cold). I’ve seen a lot of tips for this – trying to warm up the sides of your mixing bowl, either with a hair dryer or by placing it over a pan of steaming water for a few minutes, and then rewhipping.

  153. […] cake recipe has been slightly adapted from, and can be found on Joanne Eats Well With Others. As you have already read from the title, it is a 3-layer pistachio cake with honey vanilla […]

  154. […] Adventures with Camilla ? Cupcake Project ? Dinner is Served 1972 ? Done With Corn ? Eats Well With Others ? Everyday Maven ? Flour Me With Love ? From My Sweet Heart ? girlichef ? Great Food […]

  155. Maria says:

    This looks SO good! I couldn’t resist adding it to my latest post of Honey Theme Wedding Ideas.
    so delicious 🙂
    http://royallacebridal.com/38-honey-themed-wedding-ideas/

  156. Ace says:

    Oh I’m so glad you posted this recipe. We’re actually also having this cake from Baked for our wedding next year and I was hoping to recreate it for my birthday this weekend (how eerie is that?!). I’m switching mine up a bit though and adding fresh raspberries and making a honeyed-mascarpone filling instead. So excited, thanks for posting!

  157. […] Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream – Joanne Eats Well with Others […]

  158. Natalie says:

    Hi I have tried your buttercream recipe but it turned too runny. Is there any way to fix it?

  159. hana says:

    I made this and it was AMAZING! However, I have a few changes: 40-45 minutes of baking was way too long for my oven, and unfortunately even though I checked the cakes at about 35 minutes, they were already overbaked and dry. I would suggest 30 minutes max, but since ovens vary just keep a close eye on these. It’s frustrating to put in hours of work in the prep time and have it all go down the drain due to 5 minutes of overbaking.

    Also, the buttercream frosting just tasted like cold butter to me. 3 sticks is a lot for a buttercream frosting.

    Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

  160. Kathleen Short says:

    I made this for Thanksgiving excellent everyone loved it ,Thanks for the recipe 🙂

  161. Imogen says:

    I am making my own wedding cake so I tried this recipe out and it’s brilliant! However I tried to make the buttercream again for another cake and it separated. I didn’t add the honey/vanilla at the end as I was going to add other flavourings, do you think this could be why? I didn’t have any problems first time, but I need to know it’s going to go perfectly if I’m doing it for the wedding!
    Any ideas why the buttercream would separate when whipping it after adding the butter?

    • joanne says:

      This cake would be so perfect as a wedding cake! My guess as to why the buttercream separated the second time has to do with the butter itself. I find frostings like this behave more consistently if you use a really high fat, European butter, like Plugra or Lurpak. And the butter has to be really really soft. If it’s too cold the temperature difference could cause the buttercream to separate. Another thing is, if it’s just not coming together the way you want, an easy fix can be to pop it in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes and then try re-whipping it. I would say 90% of the time, that fixes it!

    • Mr meow says:

      I had the same thing happen to the buttercream, and I found that for ermine frostings (this kind of flour/pudding based buttercream), the frosting separates becuse it’s too COLD! Counterintuitive, huh? Someone suggested using a hairdryer on the surface and sides of the bowl while whipping to help the emulsification, and this worked beautifully for me both times I’ve encountered this problem. Second time around required a lot longer heating. My house is cold.

      Good luck!

  162. Kalli says:

    I want to make this! Any suggestions for making a cupcake version instead??

  163. Jeanne says:

    Made this for Thanksgiving! Awesome, was a big hit.

  164. Mr meow says:

    Dude this cake is amazing. I have never before put water in a cake (okay that’s not entirely true… there’s plenty of water in vegan chocolate cake) and didn’t expect anything extraordinary but I was extremely pleased to be proved wrong.

    ALso, thank you for introducing me to ermine frosting. What a magical recipe! Thanks a bunch

  165. Courteney Myrick says:

    Hi Joanne. I tried your cake tonight. All was great until I got to the buttercream icing. I never could get it to get fluffy like icing should be. It remained more like a glaze and it began separating. What did I do wrong? Do you have any suggestions? I chilled the icing but it never set.

    • joanne says:

      Hi Courteney! I’m so sorry you had a problem with this!! This type of frosting can be a little finicky. If the thickened milk mixture is too warm when add the butter, you’ll have problems with it fluffing up. You really have to beat it on high speed for 9-10 minutes after it comes off the stove and it absolutely MUST be at room temperature when you add the butter. After you chilled the icing did you try whipping it again? Very often a 30 minute chill and then rewhipping can help bring it all together again.

  166. Courteney Myrick says:

    I must not have let it get to room temperature. I tried chilling it but that didn’t work. I must have not let it stay in long enough BUT I did keep the remaining icing and keep it in the frig overnight and it did come together. ?? The cake part was awesome! I know the icing was my error so I am going to try this again. Thanks for replying!!!

  167. So this is where the sweet cake ideas have been hiding. More than glad to have discovered this recipe. I’ll be making a cake for my cousin’s wedding and i have no doubt they will love it.

  168. Joanne says:

    hello, why do you add water to the batter? Is this necessary? Thanks

  169. Hi Joanne, cake looks delicious.i would like to try but could u pls let me know the way to make this cake eggless. thanx

    • joanne says:

      Hi Jessica,
      I’ve never tried to make it eggless before. You could try to use a flax egg but I honestly have no idea how it would turn out! Let me know if you try it!

  170. […] buttercream came from this recipe from Eats Well With Others. The buttercream part of it was the bomb, but the cake was a little dry […]

  171. Julie says:

    Hi There,

    I noticed in your instructions you have a 1 1/2 cup ice water but it’s not listed in the ingredients. I’ve never heard of using water like that in a cake, I typically some type of dairy/non-dairy. Is there a reason you recommend water instead?

    • joanne says:

      The water vs milk can affect the texture of the cake. The milk will create a more dense cake, while the crumb of the cake made with water is a bit more open. I’ve never tried to make this with milk, but you certainly could, just know that it will affect the texture.

  172. Happy Birthday week, Joanne! That does look like an incredibly delicious cake to tuck into during birthday week. I love to have a slice of that right now.

  173. Mel says:

    Thanks for the recipe! Made it twice. Love it so much. I’m very new to baking sorry for dumb questions! What type of cake is this? Can I use reverse creaming method to make it?

  174. Lindsay says:

    Hi! Making this cake right now and my buttercream is so gritty. Any tips on how to fix so I can preserve it? It’s just so much butter ?

    • joanne says:

      I’m not sure what you mean by gritty. I would ensure that there are no lumps in the flour mixture and then also make sure that your butter is at room temperature – not to hot or too cold. Separated butter (which maybe would come across as gritty?) usually means that the butter was too cold when you added it to the frosting.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *