Simon Family Pistachio & White Choc Raspberry Cake

This elegant cake combines the delicious flavours of raspberries, pistachios and white chocolate into a light and fresh cake, great for celebrations or afternoon tea when friends drop in. 

Ingredients

• 75 g pistachios
• 225 g unsalted butter room temperature
• 225 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 175 g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 75 ml skim milk

Buttercream

• 150 g white chocolate
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup (225 g) butter, softened
• 3½ cup powdered sugar

Filling and Decoration

• 1 punnet of raspberries
• 30g freeze dried raspberries
• 100 g pistachios

Directions

For the cake: 

Preheat the oven to 180c (160c Fan). Then grease and line two 20x25cm cake tins and set aside.

Place 75 g pistachios into your Vitamix container and secure the lid. Start the machine on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed. Blend for 1 minute, or until pistachios are smooth on speed 1 for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add butter and sugar, select Variable 1 and increase speed to 10 for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla and eggs and pulse 3-5 times on Variable 5 until just combined. Add flour, ground pistachios and baking powder and pulse again 3-5 times until just combined. Add the milk and pulse again 3-5 times until just combined.

Divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake tins, bake for 25 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes in the tin and then remove and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the buttercream: 

Place chocolate and milk into the Aer® Disc container in the order listed and secure the lid.

Use the Hot Soup program or start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed. Blend for 6 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.

Place remaining ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.

Select Variable 1, slowly increase Variable 10.

Blend for 45 seconds to 1 minute using the tamper to push the ingredients into the blades.

To assemble: 

Place the buttercream into a piping bag and cut off the end to create a medium sized hole. Cut raspberries in half and set aside. Cut each cake in half horizontally so you have 4 cake layers.

Place one sponge onto a cake board or serving platter and pipe a little buttercream on top, smoothing with a palette knife or spoon. Then place 1/3 of the halved raspberries on top, pipe a few blobs of buttercream on top of this to help stick. Then place your next sponge layer on top and press down gently.

Repeat this process for the next two sponge layers, until you are left with the final sponge layer to place on top. Spread a thin layer of the buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, using a palette knife or cake scraper to get this even. Then place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Once the crumb coat is chilled, remove from the fridge and spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Again, using a palette knife or cake scraper to keep this even. Place 100 g pistachios into the Vitamix using the pulse function on speed 3, pulse until you have your desired consistency. Press the pistachio crumb onto your coated cake. 

Decorate with freeze dried raspberries.