Italian Pistachio Cake With White Chocolate Buttercream

Italian pistachio cake smothered in smooth buttercream icing and decorated with white chocolate shavings, white chocolate buttons, and chopped pistachio nuts. I tried Italian pistachio cake while traveling through Italy and Sicily when I was younger and loved it so much. I decided to try and make my own easy version of it, and I hope you enjoy it.

Jump to:

• Why you should bake this pistachio cake
• Six expert tips for perfect sponge cake
• Ingredients you will need to make pistachio cake
• Instructions
• What to serve with this cake
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why you should bake this pistachio cake

1. Its taste: This white chocolate Italian pistachio cake is delicious, and not too sweet. Often buttercream icing can have a tendency to make things a tad on the sickly side but the pistachio nuts really dial it down.
2. Its texture: The smooth buttery white chocolate disks, moist sponge cake, and crunchy nuts have the most amazing texture.
3. It's so decadent: The triple-decker layers of light and moist sponge cake are stacked with the most delicious cream filling and intense pistachio flavor.
4. It's so easy: This Italian pistachio cake might seem like a cop-out as it has no pistachio flour and is made without Italian buttercream. But this makes it much easier without compromising on taste and texture.

Six expert tips for perfect sponge cake

1. Weigh your eggs together with the shells on and then weigh out the same measurement of flour, then sugar, then butter. Why? Because most recipes will give you a measurement like '3 large eggs' but what does large mean? There are varying definitions of small/medium/large/XL/jumbo in different countries, and even then there might also be a mixture of weights within a carton of large eggs. This tip means you will bake with the perfect proportions.
2. Bake straight away. Get your Italian sponge cake in the oven as soon as you have made the batter and poured it into the baking tin. Once the baking powder hits the butter and eggs it will activate, and delaying baking will sacrifice lift in your sponge.
3. Don't open the oven while baking, and don't move the Italian pistachio cake layers around in the oven as this will cause them to deflate.
4. Check the color of the cake in the middle. When the cooking time is over, look to see if the cake is golden brown all over. If so, it is done. It needs a bit longer if it is white and pale in the middle.
5. Check the edges. Another way to check if sponge is done is to look at the edges of the tin. The edges will shrink back slightly when the cake is done baking.
6. Lay a tea towel over the wire cooling rack before turning out sponge cake to avoid criss-cross indentation marks in your sponge.

Ingredients you will need to make pistachio cake

There are three components to this Italian pistachio cake recipe; the sponge, the filling, and the frosting.

For the sponge

1. Eggs: I use large eggs for this recipe which generally weigh 60-65 grams each.
2. Margarine: I use margarine for this recipe, also known as vegetable shortening. I usually always make sponge cake with margarine rather than butter as it gives it a delightfully light and moist texture
3. All-purpose flour: AP flour or plain flour as it is sometimes known, is a medium-strength flour that is ideal for baking cakes, cookies, and brownies.
4. Baking powder: Baking powder is a chemical leavening agent that gives rise to baked goods.
5. Granulated white sugar: Sugar sweetens baked items, but also works in lots of other ways so it is a vital addition.
6. Vanilla essence: Vanilla gives a deliciously light flavor to the sponge which works perfectly to complement the pistachios and white chocolate.
7. Salt: Salt is a flavor enhancer and balances out the sweetness so it is important not to skip it!

For the white chocolate, pistachio, and cream filling

1. Heavy cream: We whip heavy cream (or double cream) to make a deliciously light cake filling.
2. Pistachio nuts: Chopped pistachio nuts in the 3 layers of filling ensure that every bite has pistachio flavor.
3. White chocolate: Grated white chocolate gives a buttery white chocolate taste to each and every bite, too.

For the buttercream frosting

1. Unsalted butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature to make the buttercream frosting.
2. Powdered sugar: Sieve the powdered sugar before use for a perfect, smooth buttercream.
3. Pistachio nuts: Use unsalted pistachio nuts, which you can shell yourself if you have several days to spare, or buy ready-shelled ones!
4. White chocolate buttons/disks: The sides of the Italian pistachio cake are decorated with chopped pistachio nuts and

See the recipe card for all the quantities and full instructions.

Instructions

Sponge cake

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius/360 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the flour with the salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
3. Using a food processor or electric hand whisk, whip the margarine, vanilla essence, and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy.
4. Slowly add the eggs until they are fully incorporated but do not overmix.
5. Lightly fold in the flour mixture, and transfer into 3 lightly greased baking tins.
6. Bake the sponge for 20 minutes, then remove the sponge to wire racks to cool completely.

Cream filling

1. Use the fine grating side of a box grater to grate the white chocolate and roughly chop all of the pistachio nuts.
2. Whip heavy cream until it thickens, and then fold in roughly a third of the nuts and half of the grated white chocolate.

Buttercream frosting

1. Sift the powdered sugar and whip with the vanilla essence and softened butter until smooth and creamy. Fold in the remaining grated white chocolate.

How to assemble the pistachio layer cake

1. Place one layer of sponge on a cake platter and spread half of the white chocolate and pistachio cream filling over the top. Spread filling right to the edge. Repeat with the second layer of cake, then place the third layer on top.
2. Use a soft rubber spatula or frosting knife to spread the white chocolate buttercream all over the top and sides of the Italian pistachio cake.
3. Place the white chocolate buttons on the sides of the cake and sprinkle chopped pistachio nuts across the top.
4. Using your hands, press more pistachio nuts into the side of the cake to stick to the buttercream surrounding the buttons.

Slice up and serve!

Love cake? Try this banana bread with pecans and a maple glaze.

What to serve with this cake

Champagne tastes delicious with pistachio desserts. Or an Italian dessert wine pairing for pistachio cake would be a Vin Santo.

Equipment

Weigh all of your ingredients on a digital scale for accuracy.

You will need several mixing bowls and an electric hand whisk or Kitchen Aid food processor for this white chocolate Italian pistachio cake recipe.

Use an oven thermometer to ensure you are baking at the right temperature.

Cool the sponge to room temperature quickly on a wire rack and prevent moisture from forming underneath which will make it soggy.

Storage

Leftover Italian pistachio cake with buttercream frosting needs to be stored in the fridge as it contains cream and butter. Consume leftovers within 3-4 days.

If you want to make the cake sponge ahead of time you can freeze it and it will keep for up to a month. Wrap the sponge in plastic food wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Defrost thoroughly before decorating.

FAQ

📖 Recipe

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