This simple Pistachio Raspberry Loaf Cake is full of flavours and textures. The slightly crunchy pistachio cake is packed with fresh, tangy raspberries and a hint of lemon. A great summery cake to enjoy for afternoon tea!
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Why we love this recipe
This delicious pistachio and raspberry cake is simply a great dessert to enjoy this Summer. The pistachios bring a slightly earthy, nutty taste and crunch to the cake while the fresh, tangy raspberries almost melt into the crumb.
It is a great one layer cake to enjoy for afternoon tea or serve for dessert!
More to try: Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake
Ingredient Notes
Scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities
What is Raspberry Pistachio Cake made of:
- Pistachios: I used pistachios both ground inside the cake and roughly chopped as a crunchy topping. The raw, unsalted pistachios are ground into a coarse powder in the food processor. You can grind them more or less coarse to create a different texture in the cake
- Lemon Zest: to balance the earthy flavour of pistachio. I rubbed the zest with the caster (fine white) sugar to help release their natural oil, providing more flavour.
- Eggs: large eggs, at room temperature.
- Cream: thickened / heavy cream with min. 30% fat content.
- Oil: a neutral-flavour oil such as canola oil or vegetable oil. You could use melted unsalted butter but I personally prefer to use oil for a more moist and light cake. Butter tends to dry out the cake more quickly.
- Raspberries: I used fresh raspberries here but you could use thawed and drained frozen raspberries if preferred. Make sure to discard any water after thawing and pat the raspberries dry before adding to the cake.
How to make Pistachio and Raspberry Cake
- Preheat your oven on 180℃ / 350 ℉. Lightly grease a 12 x 22 cm (5 x 9 inch) loaf pan and line the bottom with a piece of baking paper.
- Start by making the ground pistachio flour: Place the raw pistachios in your food processor. Pulse until you get a slightly coarse powder. Depending on the cake texture you want to get, you can keep it slightly coarse or grind it into a finer powder.
Avoid over-mixing the pistachios or they will start releasing their natural oil then turn into a paste.
- Photo 1: Place the washed and dried raspberries in a small bowl. You can keep them whole or slice them in half. Sprinkle half a tablespoon of the flour over the raspberries and toss to coat them. Set aside.
- Photo 2: Place the rest of the flour in a medium bowl and stir in the ground pistachios, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
You can use your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or hand mixer for the following steps, or simply make the cake by hands in a large bowl.
- Photo 3: In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Gently rub between your fingers to help the zest release their oil and flavour the sugar.
- Photo 4: Add the eggs and whisk until lightly bubbly.
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- Photo 5: Whisk in the oil and cream until combined.
- Photo 6 & 7: Add the prepared dried ingredients mix and gently whisk. Stop as soon as combined to avoid over-mixing the batter. You should get a light, shinny batter.
- Photo 8: Add the prepared raspberries that have been coated in flour.
- Photo 9: Using a spatula, very gently fold them into the batter. Again, don't over-mix to keep the raspberries intact.
- Photo 10: Pour the raspberry and pistachio cake batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Photo 11: slice the remaining raspberries in half and place on top of the cake batter.
- Photo 12: roughly chop the remaining pistachios and sprinkle over the raspberries.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
If the cake seems to be turning golden brown too quickly and isn't fully baked inside yet, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil to prevent more browning and keep baking until ready.
- Place on a cooling rack and leave to cool down completely before tipping out of the pan.
You can serve the loaf as is, dust with icing sugar like I did or even drizzle some melted white chocolate on top.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend using fresh raspberries but frozen raspberries will work too. Make sure to fully thaw, drain and pat them dry first. You want to avoid adding extra water into the cake batter.
Simply place raw, unsalted and shelled pistachios in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until you get a powder - more or less coarse depending on the texture you are after. Make sure not to over-mix or the pistachios will start releasing oil and eventually turn into a paste.
Optionally, you can toast the nuts in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to boost their flavour. You will get a darker brown pistachio flour with a stronger nutty flavour.
Use unsalted raw pistachios, preferably already removed from their shell for convenience. You can toast pistachios in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes if you wanted to deepen their flavour - though it is not mandatory in this recipe.
Tips & Suggestions
- For a crunchier texture, grind the pistachios into a coarser flour with a few larger chunks. For a smoother consistency, grind into a fine powder. If you keep grinding the nuts, you will eventually create Pistachio Paste!
- To create a deeper pistachio flavour, you can roast the nuts in the oven for about 10 minutes before grinding them. Their colour will turn slightly brown.
- Coating the raspberries with a little bit of flour (about 1 tablespoon) is a simple way to insure they do not sink to the bottom of the cake pan while baking. I sliced the raspberries in half so that they are lighter but you can keep them whole if preferred.
- For a more elaborated dessert, you could slice the finished loaf in half horizontally and fill it. Spread raspberry jam, raspberry curd, raspberry compote, raspberry buttercream or even pistachio pastry cream over the bottom then top with the top half of the cake.
Storing & Freezing
This pistachio raspberry loaf can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months. You can place the whole cake in the freezer or freeze it pre-sliced, separating each slice with parchment paper. Simply thaw at room temperature overnight for the whole cake or a few hours for slices.
I am so excited to share that my debut cookbook
"Bite-Sized French Pastries for the Beginner Baker"
is now available for purchase!
Recipe
Pistachio Raspberry Cake
Equipment
- 12 x 22 cm (5 x 9 inch) Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 150 gr Raw Shelled Pistachios, unsalted
- 150 gr Plain / All-Purpose Flour
- 150 gr Raspberries
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 pinch Fine Table Salt
- 120 gr Caster Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest, from about 1 large lemon
- 3 large Eggs, at room temperature
- 120 ml Canola or Vegetable Oil
- 120 ml Thickened / Heavy Cream
Toppings
- 50 gr Raspberries
- 20 gr Raw Shelled Pistachios, unsalted, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven on 180℃ / 350 ℉. Lightly grease a 12 x 22 cm (5 x 9 inch) loaf pan and line the bottom with a piece of baking paper.
- Place the raw, shelled pistachios into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse for a couple of minutes or until you get a very slightly coarse powder (see note 1). Set aside.
- Place the flour into a large mixing bowl and the washed & pat-dried raspberries into a separate small mixing bowl. Take about 1/2 tablespoon of flour from the large bowl, sprinkle it over the raspberries and gently toss to coat them. Set the raspberries aside.
- To the bowl with the flour, add the ground pistachios, baking powder and salt. Mix to combine and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, slightly rub the zest and sugar together to help the zest release their oil and flavour the sugar.
- Add in the eggs and whisk for a couple of minutes or until lightly bubbly. Mix in the oil and cream and whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and gently whisk until no lumps remain. Add the raspberries (coated in flour) and very gently fold them into the batter. Try not to over-mix to keep the raspberries intact.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Slice the remaining raspberries in half and place over the cake batter. Top with the roughly chopped pistachios.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes (see note 2) or until a skewer comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack and leave to cool down completely before tipping out of the pan. Optionally, top with icing sugar to serve.
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Notes
- Depending on the texture of cake you are after, you can grind the pistachios into a finer or coarser flour. Don't grind for too long or the pistachios will start releasing oil and turn into a paste.
- If the cake seems to be turning golden brown too quickly and isn't fully baked inside yet, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil to prevent more browning and keep baking until ready.
Nutrition (per serving)
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