Delicious gluten free raspberry and pistachio cake!

I was recently scrolling on Instagram and came across this delicious looking cake and decided that I had to bake it! The recipe is by Julie Marie, and although it wasn’t a gluten free recipe, I was able to substitute the ingredients with gluten free ones and it worked perfectly!

I love cake that has a nutty or fruity element, and so knew this was the cake for me! After finishing icing and decorating the cake I immediately cut a slice and tried it and was so happy with the taste, texture and overall look of it! The cake is light, soft, fresh, and really, really yummy!!! My family was equally delighted with the cake, and needless to say it was a crowd pleaser!

The cake isn’t too sweet due to the pistachios in it, which complements the sweetness of the raspberry jam and buttercream. Although the original recipe suggests making the raspberry jam from scratch, I decided just to use Bonne Maman raspberry conserve as it’s my favourite and go to for baking. I also am going through a pink phase so loved the colour of the pink buttercream! I was unable to find freeze-dried raspberries like the recipe says to use, so used normal raspberries and some extra pink food dye instead and was very happy with the result.

I loved this recipe, and I am definitely going to be using it as in the future for birthdays and celebrations!

I have attached below the recipe (having changed it to be gluten free), as well as attached Julie Marie’s website and Instagram:

https://juliemarieeats.com/raspberry-pistachio-layer-cake/ https://www.instagram.com/juliemarieeats/  

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Pistachio cake layers

• 100 g unsalted pistachios, blended into flour

• 260 g gluten free plain flour

• ¾ teaspoon gluten free baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• 180 g butter room temperature

• 300 g granulated sugar

• 4 large eggs room temperature

• 240 g sour cream room temperature

• 60 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry jam (or store bought)

• 250 g frozen raspberries

• 50 g granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 2 teaspoon water

Raspberry buttercream

• 400 g butter  room temperature

• 660 g powdered sugar

• 1 ½ tablespoon freeze dried raspberry powder

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoon whole milk room temperature

Instructions:

Pistachio cake

1. Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and prepare a 3 x20 cm/8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Start by blending the pistachios into a flour-like consistency.

3. Sift together the blended pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.

4. In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, and granulated sugar and mix it on high speed for 3 minutes.

5. Add two eggs at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.

6. Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, on low speed, mixing until just combined.

7. Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

8. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.

9. Pour the cake into the prepared pans and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. (my cake took longer, about 30-35 minutes)

10. Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.

Raspberry jam

1. Add the raspberries, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice to a saucepan and heat it up until the raspberries are no longer frozen, have started to break down, and the resulting liquid has come to a bubble. Once bubbling, turn it down to a simmer. Stir occasionally and with a rubber spatula mash down raspberries.

2. Let it simmer for 8 minutes or until the raspberry jam has thickened. Then in a cup mix together cornstarch and water and pour it into the jam. Continuously stir it around for 1 minute while it thickens. 

3. Pour the jam into a shallow bowl, to let it cool down faster, and place it in the fridge. Let it cool down until room temperature or colder. Takes about 1 hour.

Raspberry buttercream

1. Sift the powdered sugar and freeze-dried raspberry powder and set it aside. (I used normal raspberries and pink food dye)

2. Mix the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.

3. Add the powdered sugar/freeze dried raspberry powder, vanilla extra and milk in 2 parts. Whipping until each addition is fully incorporated.

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the buttercream a final mix for 2 minutes at low speed.

Assembling

1. Place the first cake layer on your serving dish on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.

2. Add 2 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out. While evening it out make an indent in the buttercream to create a border so the raspberry jam doesn’t spill out.

3. Add half of the raspberry jam even it out. Then add the other cake layer and repeat the process for the next layer. Add the last cake layer on top and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes for the buttercream to set before adding the crumb coat.
   

4. Then cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat. Then finally add the remaining buttercream, and even it out over the cake. Optional, decorate with the fresh raspberries and chopped pistachios. (I used a piping bag and nozzle to decorate the top of the cake and then added the fresh raspberries and chopped pistachios)