Raspberry Pistachio Cake with Buttercream

I first made this raspberry pistachio cake because I had leftover pistachios from another recipe and a bag of raspberries that were starting to soften. I didn’t plan anything fancy—just didn’t want to waste ingredients. The first version was too sweet, but once I adjusted the jam and buttercream, it turned into something I actually wanted to make again.

Why This Recipe Works

Here’s the thing—pistachio and raspberry can easily clash if one takes over. What I figured out is that the pistachio cake needs to stay soft and mild so the raspberry can bring the sharpness. The homemade jam keeps things real instead of overly sugary, and the buttercream ties everything together without feeling heavy.

Ingredient Notes

I use unsalted pistachios and grind them finely so they blend smoothly into the cake batter. If you leave them too chunky, the texture gets uneven.

For raspberries, fresh or frozen both work for the jam, but frozen ones actually break down faster, so I usually go with those.

The buttercream uses real raspberry puree instead of artificial coloring. It won’t look neon pink, but that’s the point—it stays natural.

How to Make It

Start by making the raspberry jam first so it has time to cool. Cook raspberries with a bit of sugar and lemon juice until they break down and thicken. I rushed this once and ended up with a runny filling that leaked everywhere.

For the pistachio cake, cream butter and sugar until light, then add eggs one at a time. Mix in the ground pistachios, flour, and a bit of milk until you get a smooth batter.

Divide the batter between cake pans and bake until the tops are lightly golden and spring back when touched. Let them cool completely before assembling.

For the buttercream, beat softened butter until fluffy, then slowly add powdered sugar. Mix in raspberry puree little by little until you get a smooth, pale pink frosting.

Once everything is cooled, spread a layer of jam between the cake layers, then stack them. Cover the whole cake with buttercream and smooth it out. I usually don’t aim for perfection here—slight texture makes it look more homemade.

Decorate with a few crushed pistachios and fresh raspberries on top.

Things I Learned the Hard Way

• Don’t skip cooling the jam or it will melt the buttercream.
• Grind pistachios finely or the cake texture gets gritty.
• Too much raspberry puree in buttercream makes it loose.
• Let cake layers cool fully before stacking or everything slides.

Storage & Serving Suggestions

Keep this cake in the fridge because of the buttercream. It lasts about 3 days. I like letting it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving so the texture softens slightly.

Lyna Recipes

Raspberry Pistachio Cake with Raspberry Buttercream

Soft pistachio cake layers filled with homemade raspberry jam and covered in natural raspberry buttercream.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the pistachio cake:

• 1 cup unsalted pistachios finely ground
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• Pinch of salt

For the raspberry jam:

• 2 cups raspberries fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• For the raspberry buttercream:
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry puree strained optional

For decoration:

• Fresh raspberries
• Crushed pistachios

Method

 

1. Make raspberry jam by cooking raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice until thickened. Cool completely.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease cake pans.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
5. Mix in ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk until smooth.
6. Divide batter into pans and bake for 25–30 minutes. Cool completely.
7. Beat butter until fluffy, then slowly add powdered sugar and raspberry puree to make buttercream.
8. Spread jam between cake layers and stack.
9. Cover cake with buttercream and decorate with raspberries and pistachios.

Notes

Cool jam completely before assembling. Grind pistachios finely for smooth texture. Store in fridge up to 3 days.