Sicilian Pistachio Cake

1.30.16

I made this cake for my friends birthday because….well he’s Sicilian.  And he’s never in town for his birthday so considering the fact he actually was this time around, he had to get a cake. My favorite type of birthday cakes are the kind that aren’t supposed to be birthday cakes. But stick a candle in it and boom, it’s a birthday cake. I’ve also come to the conclusion that not enough things have pistachios in them.

I think people will either love or hate this frosting, it is RICH. I’d never made this style before and it’s intense, so much butter. In the original recipe it’s called Neoclassic but it seems after some research the more common term is French Buttercream.  I actually cut back on some from the original recipe because it tasted like I was literally eating a stick of butter. Second time around was much better. I also knew when I made this that I was headed to Italy, so what better time than now to try it out? The Italians know their dessert, so I trusted this it. 

Sicilian Pistachio Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cup ricotta
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

For the Frosting

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 13 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp pistachio oil
• 1/4 cup golden syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup pistachio, roughly chopped for garnish

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease one 9″ cake pan
• In a food processor, grind together the sugar and pistachios so the pistachios are mixed in but not totally a fine powder
• In a medium bowl, whisk together, eggs, egg yolk, 3 tbsp ricotta and vanilla until combined
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together the pistachio mixture, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined
• Add in the butter and the rest of the ricotta on low speed until dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened
• Add in the egg mixture in two parts, allowing it to combine before adding in more, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed
• Pour batter into greased cake pan and drop pan onto the counter a few times from about two inches above to rid of any air bubbles
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cake tester comes out of the middle clean
• Allow cake to cool about 10 minutes before inverting onto wire rack to fully cool

For the Frosting

• Grease a glass measuring cup that holds at least 1 cup
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk yolks on medium speed until pale in color
• In a medium saucepan mix together sugar and golden syrup until moistened
• Over medium heat allow sugar to dissolve and to come to a rolling boil, there will be large bubbles over top of the mixture
• Immediately transfer to greased glass measuring cup
• Pour a little bit of syrup into yolks and beat on medium for about 30 seconds
• Then add a little more syrup and beat again for another 30 seconds, continue this until all syrup is beat into yolks
• Chill until fully cooled
• Once cooled, beat in butter one tablespoon at a time until all is fully mixed in
• Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle chopped pistachio around outer edge of the top of the cake

Adapted from NPR