With a milestone birthday ahead, I wanted a flavour, nay, a bouquet of flavours that were decadent, delectable, and possibly downright avant-garde. And what else could be more exotic than the combination of rose, saffron, and cardamom? A trinity of fragrant spices that suggest romance and adventure. And that is how this Persian themed cake came to be. Starting with this beautiful pistachio rose cake!
Adapted from a tea-cake recipe by Ottolenghi, I added my customizations and adjusted the quantities to make a three-layered cake. A tinge of lemon in the cake, syrup, and buttercream helps balance out the sweet rose tones and brighten things up a bit. I also brought in my favorite Italian meringue buttercream and added just a touch of rose and lemon to marry the flavor and round out the taste.
This Pistachio Rose Cake was the first of three cakes I would make for my 50th birthday cake. The top tier of the cake is a four-layer Saffron and Cardamom Cake, the middle tier being a two-layer Saffron and Honey Cake and the bottom tier is this Pistachio and Rose Cake. It is indeed a lovely celebratory cake that both challenge my creativity, as well as remind me of how far I have come as a baker and flavor maker :D
With a milestone birthday ahead, I wanted a flavour, nay, a bouquet of flavours that were decadent, delectable, and possibly downright avant-garde. And what else could be more exotic than the combination of rose, saffron, and cardamom? A trinity of fragrant spices that suggest romance and adventure. And that is how this Persian themed cake came to be. Starting with this beautiful pistachio rose cake!
Adapted from a tea-cake recipe by Ottolenghi, I added my customizations and adjusted the quantities to make a three-layered cake. A tinge of lemon in the cake, syrup, and buttercream helps balance out the sweet rose tones and brighten things up a bit. I also brought in my favorite Italian meringue buttercream and added just a touch of rose and lemon to marry the flavor and round out the taste.
This Pistachio Rose Cake was the first of three cakes I would make for my 50th birthday cake. The top tier of the cake is a four-layer Saffron and Cardamom Cake, the middle tier being a two-layer Saffron and Honey Cake and the bottom tier is this Pistachio and Rose Cake. It is indeed a lovely celebratory cake that both challenge my creativity, as well as remind me of how far I have come as a baker and flavor maker :D
A fragrant and delicious flavor combination of Middle Eastern origin, this is a recipe for a 3-layered cake with rose buttercream.
Ingredients:
Pistachio Rose Cake
225 g (1-1/2 cups) unsalted pistachios, shelled
150 g (1-1/2 cups) almond flour
240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
60 ml 1/4 cup honey
60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
40 ml (3 tbsp) rose water
1 tsp vanilla extract
300 g (1-1/2 cups) granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
450 g (1 lb) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 large eggs, at room temperature
Rose Syrup
60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
40 ml (3 tbsp) rose water
25 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
30 g (2 tbsp) honey
Rose Buttercream
one recipe Italian Meringue Buttercream
40 ml (3 tbsp) rose water
20 ml (1-1/2 tbsp) lemon juice
Assembly
Rose petals (or edible candied rose petals)
Pistachio bits
Directions:
Pistachio Rose Cake
Preheat oven to 175C or 350F.
Butter 3 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Pulverize the pistachios in a food processor until it resembles a sandy texture.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: pistachio flour, almond flour, all-purpose flour, cardamom powder, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside
In a small bowl, mix together the honey, lemon juice, rose water, and vanilla extract. Set this aside.
Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips.
Into the bowl of a stand mixer with a beater attachment, place the lemon sugar and butter. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed.
Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until fully incorporated before adding the subsequent one. Scrape the sides of the bowl when needed.
Reduce the speed to medium-low, then add the rosewater mixture.
Reduce speed to low, then fold in the dry ingredients.
Divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans, and level the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If the cake pans have been placed in different racks in the oven, rotate their positions after the cakes have risen, around the 30 to 35-minute mark.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Rose Syrup
When the cakes are baking, combine all the syrup ingredients: lemon juice, rose water, sugar, and honey in a small saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Turn off the heat and let cool.
Brush on warm cakes when they are on the cooling rack.
Rose Buttercream
Add the rose water and lemon juice into cool (not fridge-cold) or room temperature Italian meringue buttercream. Use a handheld or stand mixer to incorporate it completely.
Assembly
When the cakes have cooled, level the tops with a cake leveler or a serrated knife.
Place the first layer on the cake board, scoop 1 cup of buttercream on top, and level the surface.
Repeat with the second cake layer, reserving the smoothest surface for the top of the cake that makes the third layer.
Coat the whole cake with a very thin layer of frosting to make a crumb coat.
Refrigerate the cake for 30 - 45 minutes.
Remove the cake from the fridge and use the rest of the buttercream to cover the cake.
Decorate with rose petals and pistachio bits.
