Coffee cake is the classic tea time treat. This recipe for a coffee pistachio cake features a moist coffee sponge with a nutty pistachio buttercream. The buttercream is whipped until perfectly smooth and creamy and finished with a coffee syrup glaze.
As much as I adore a good coffee cake, the traditional cake can at times seem the uninspired choice. Coffee and walnut cake is ubiquitous in British cafes and supermarkets, so I’ve attempted to give the bake a little lift. Pistachios are much underused, yet they add a beautiful salty creaminess to cakes and sweet treats alike. I’ve also added a generous amount of coffee to make a strongly flavoured sponge. This, combined with the spiciness of nutmeg and cinnamon makes for a distinctly maturer tasting cake.
The ingredients & method
To make the sponge extra light and moist I’ve used the vegan equivalent of buttermilk – oat milk and lemon juice. The acid reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to create an airy, light texture. I like to use equal quantities of caster and light muscovado sugar in a lot of my bakes. I find muscovado adds deep toffee like notes that really enrich a cakes flavour.
To get the perfect crumb to your coffee pistachio cake, cream the margarine and sugar on high until light and pale, approximately 3 minutes. It is imperative that you gently fold in the remaining ingredients to ensure you don’t remove all the air you have just whipped into the cake.
I’m a coffee fiend so I often enjoy this cake alongside an espresso for that extra dose of coffee. Best consumed early in the morning to get that caffeine hit all day long; plus it’s another excuse to eat cake for breakfast.
Leave a comment and let me know how you get on making this coffee pistachio cake. I’d love to see your creations over on instagram!
More bakes and sweet treats
Coffee pistachio cake
Equipment
- Food processor
- Electric whisk
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 150 mls unsweetened oat milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 90 g caster sugar
- 90 g light muscovado sugar
- 80 g margarine
- 180 g plain flour
- Generous pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2.5 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1tbsp hot water
For the buttercream
- 75 g vegetable shortening room temperature
- 75 g margarine room temperature
- 215 g icing sugar
- 100 g pistachios
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1.5 tbsp oat milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the coffee glaze
- 1/2 tbsp coffee
- 1/2 tbsp water
- 75 g caster sugar
- 10 g margarine
- 1 tbsp oat milk
- 50 g chopped toasted pistachios to decorate
Instructions
- Lightly grease and line 2 x 18.5cm / 7.25" sandwich tins. Pre heat the oven to 180/ 160 fan / gas 4.
- Make the buttermilk by whisking the lemon into the oat milk, then set aside.
- Sift the sugar to remove any large clumps. Use an electric whisk on high to cream the margarine and sugar until light and pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Mix in the buttermilk. Then gently fold in the sifted flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Finally fold in the dissolved coffee.
- Divide the cake mixture between the 2 tins. Bake for 25 minutes on the middle shelf.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Carefully turn the sponges out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- To make the coffee glaze, add the coffee, water and sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil. While the syrup is vigorously bubbling, continuously stir for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the margarine and oat milk. Pour into a heat proof bowl and leave to cool.
- To make the buttercream, in a mixing bowl use an electric whisk to cream the vegetable shortening and margarine. Sift in the icing sugar in thirds, mixing well between each addition. Mix in the vanilla, oat milk and salt. Blend 100g pistachios in a coffee grinder or food processor until fine, then stir into the buttercream.
- Lightly toast the remaining whole pistachios by adding to a pan over a moderate heat. Toast for 3-4 minutes and lightly browned. To assemble the cake, spread half the buttercream over one sponge and gently place the second on top. Spread over the remaining buttercream and drizzle over the coffee glaze. Finish by decorating the cake with the toasted pistachios.