Vanilla, Rose and Pistachio Cake

Our Vanilla, Rose and Pistachio Cake is the ultimate party cake!  With lovely frills and the delightful flavors of vanilla, rose and pistachio this moist and tender cake has a fine crumb and is so delicious.   

Classic Flavors of Vanilla, Rose and Pistachio 

This cake is pure white, not even a tinge of yellow as we used just plain egg whites.  No yolks!  The cake is adorned with fondant ruffles, dried baby rose buds and roasted pistachios.  It will make an impressive centerpiece at any party or gathering.

The Vanilla, Rose and Pistachio ruffled party cake:

The light, fluffy filling is made with cream cheese and whipping cream, it is flavored with rose water and chopped pistachio nuts.  The filling is generously spread between two cake layers and frosted with a rose water flavored buttercream then we covered the top with pure white fondant.

The fluted ribbons are made from the vanilla fondant and attached to the sides of the cake, pinched and fluted creating a ruffled effect.  We used culinary-grade dried baby tea rose buds  and chopped pistachios to decorate the top of the cake.

Light, Moist and Delicious!

This ruffled vanilla, rose and pistachio cake gives the appearance of being difficult to decorate but take heart, it is much easier than it looks.  You do not need to be an experienced cake decorator to create this lovely cake.  The fondant covering the cake is so easy. And it is actually fun to put it together.  

We used pure white Wilton’s white decorator’s fondant to cover the cake.  If you have never used a fondant before, do not be intimidated by this as once the fondant is kneaded and soft it is really easy to work with.  

Creamy Rose flavor with Pistachio Crunch

This Vanilla, Rose and Pistachio Cake is a nine-inch cake and we used a tart pan that was two inches larger as a template to cut a circle out of the rolled fondant.   The circle of fondant was placed on top of the buttercream frosted cake and smoothed down over the edges. 

Additional fondant was rolled out and cut into four ribbons to attach to the sides of the cake then the edges were fluted.  Culinary-grade dried baby rose buds and chopped pistachios adorned the top of the cake.   Easy peasy.   Other cakes you may like:

•  Lavender Cake with Lavender Cream Cheese Icing
• Einkorn Honey Almond Cake
•  Intense Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The recipe for the vanilla cake was adapted from:  Mrs. Billet’s White Cake

Vanilla, Rose and Pistachio Cake

This is the ultimate party cake! A pure white vanilla cake flavored with a thick rose and pistachio creamy filling, frosted with rose flavored buttercream and white fondant ribbons. It is adorned with dried baby rose buds and roasted pistachios.

4.93 from 13 votes

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Prep Time: 2 hours hours

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 949kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract or pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup 226g butter, softened
• 2 cups 400g sugar
• 3 cups 360g cake flour
• 1 tablespoon 12g baking powder
• 6 egg whites

For the Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1-¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped roasted pistachios divided

For the Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 cup butter softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon rose water or to taste
• 5 cups of confectioners’ sugar sifted
• 2-3 tablespoons cream

For the Fondant Ruffles:

• 1 package Wilton's Vanilla Fondant 24-ounce
• ¼ cup culinary-grade dried baby rose buds

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Instructions

For the Vanilla Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350° Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray and line bottoms with parchment paper and spray.
• Stir together milk and vanilla and reserve.
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer (a stand mixer works best) until creamy, let the mixer run for several minutes until it has creamed to a pale color. Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
• Sift together flour and baking powder and add to the butter mixture, alternately with the reserved milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter. Divide the batter equally into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto wire racks, remove the parchment paper then, with another wire rack on the bottom side of one of the cakes, invert again so the cake is top side up on the rack. Repeat with the second cake. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

For the Filling:

• In the bowl of the mixer with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the rose water, vanilla and salt and mix to incorporate together.
• Stop the mixer, remove the paddle attachment and insert the whip attachment. Add the heavy cream, scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Start the mixer on low and gradually increase the speed to high and beat the mixture until it is stiff and holds it’s peak.

For the Buttercream Frosting:

• Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, creaming it to a fluffy pale color. A stand mixer if possible. Add the vanilla and rose water and blend well, about 3 minutes.
• On medium speed begin adding the confectioners’ sugar, a cup at a time, stopping the motor occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom. Add the cream a couple teaspoons at a time to the desired consistency.

To Assemble and Decorate the Cake:

• Level the cake layers then place one layer on a cake plate or cake stand. Add enough of the filling on the cake to create a 1/2-inch thick layer. Sprinkle one cup of the chopped pistachios over the filling and add the second cake layer over the pistachios, positioning it upside down so that the top of the cake is flat.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with a light coating of the buttercream frosting. Place the cake into the refrigerator or freezer while preparing the fondant.

For the Fondant Ruffles:

• Open the package of fondant and prepare it for rolling as directed on the package. Cut off about 1/3 of the fondant and roll on a surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Cut the fondant in a 11-inch circle. I used a 11-inch tart pan as my template. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and carefully position the fondant circle over the top of the cake. Smooth over the edge of the cake.
• Roll the remaining fondant and cut 4 ribbons, 2-inches wide and 30 inches long. Beginning at the top of the cake, add a dab of buttercream to the end of one ribbon and gently press to the upper portion of the cake so that it adheres, then wrap the ribbon around the cake and secure the end with another dab of buttercream. Continue with the remaining ribbons until the sides of the cake are covered. Beginning again at the upper ribbon, pinch/press the edge into a fluted ruffle, proceed with the remaining ruffles.
• Finally, sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped pistachios and add the dried baby tea rose buds.

Notes

When making the filling use the paddle to cream the cream cheese and sugar, then switch to the whip attachment. This will give you a light fluffy filling.When making the buttercream, use the paddle only, do not use the whip attachment as it will incorporate too much air.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 949kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 491mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 91g

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