This pistachio rose cake brings a delicate Middle Eastern flavor to your table. Pistachio, rose water and a touch of cardamom are the main flavors of the sponge while the frosting, using mascarpone as a base, is rich, but at the same time delicate due to the addition of rose water and vanilla. Truth to be told, this cake was born after my brother kindly bought me a red rose for International Women’s Day. I was admiring the beautiful rose and thought to myself “wouldn’t it be such a shame to let this beautiful, delicate rose dry out in a vase?!”. Of course it would, was my immediate answer! So I thought that maybe a cake would showcase the delicate rose petals and the amazing rose aroma. My mum was joking: are you actually going to create a cake for a rose?! Well, obviously I was going to do it. And this is what I came up with: a pistachio sponge flavored with a tough of cardamom, a mascarpone rose water filling and plenty of chopped pistachio and fresh strawberries between the layers. The rose water is quite intense in flavor and a bit goes a long way, but that’s the beauty of it – with a teaspoon of rose water, your cake is infused with a whole new aroma. The top is decorated with crystallised rose petals, chopped pistachio and strawberries. I think it’s the rose petals that make this cake so beautiful – they are an excellent garnish for cakes and the process is very simple, so simple that it can be applied to other edible flowers as well. You can watch the process of making crystallised rose petals on my brand new Youtube channel – Pastry Workshop. Do Subscribe as I will be posting more short videos on how to make decorations and possibly recipes in the near future.

Somehow, I have replaced chocolate with refreshing flavors lately. I’m a baker of the extremes sometimes – I might bake a chocolate cake today and a lemon cheesecake tomorrow. It depends on my mood, on where I get my inspiration from, on what ingredients I have on hand. And when all these things reach a common ground, a cake is born. Other times it all starts from an idea and then the ingredient hunt begins. Isn’t it amazing how creative cakes can be?! I love the process of designing a cake as much as I love baking it and I think the two of them go hand in hand, it’s what challenges me to be a better baker or pastry chef. Funny thing, I was reading an article the other day about creativity and it said that it has to be practiced in order to be better and better, just like any other domain and I have to admit that it’s true because looking back at my desserts, there’s so many things I would change now, so many things I would be doing differently now. My point with this is to encourage you to never give up on baking, even if you might not always make the best desserts – I don’t either, but those don’t make it to the blog – but practice makes it perfect so be consistent, creative, bake, bake and bake some more. It will eventually pay off and you’ll be making beautiful, delicious desserts in no time. Plus, it’s fun and although not calorie free, you can always share a cake with family and friends.

{Pistachio Rose Cake}

 

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Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop

Serves:: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

Pistachio sponge:

• 310g all-purpose white flour
• 40g cornstarch
• 50g pistachio, ground
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 eggs, separated
• 230g butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 230g sugar+70g sugar
• 125ml milk
• 125ml buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon rose water

Mascarpone rose frosting:

• 250g mascarpone, room temperature
• 150g white chocolate, melted
• 200g heavy cream, whipped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 50g pistachio, chopped
• 200g fresh strawberries, sliced

Crystallised flowers:

• 1 egg white
• 100g caster sugar
• Rose petals or other flowers, such as primroses or violets (pesticide-free)

Directions:

Pistachio sponge:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and line two 18cm diameter baking pans with parchment paper.
2. Mix the flour, cornstarch, ground pistachio, cardamom, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
3. In a different bowl, mix the butter, 230g sugar and lemon zest until creamy and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.
4. Add the egg yolks, one by one, and mix another 5 minutes until fluffy and pale.
5. Combine the milk, buttermilk, vanilla and rose water in a bowl.
6. Begin adding the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture, alternating it with the milk. Start with flour and end with flour.
7. Whip the egg whites until stiff then add 70g sugar and continue mixing until stiff and glossy.
8. Fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter then divide the batter between the two cake pans.
9. Bake the cakes in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cakes pass the toothpick test.
10. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans then cut them in half, thus forming 4 layers of sponge cake.

Mascarpone rose frosting:

1. Mix the mascarpone with vanilla and rose water until creamy then add the melted and cooled chocolate.
2. Fold in the whipped cream.

To assemble the cake:

1. Layer the pistachio sponges with dollops of mascarpone frosting, chopped pistachio and sliced strawberries. The layers should look like this: pistachio sponge, mascarpone frosting, chopped pistachio and strawberries then repeat.

Crystallised flowers:

1. Slighly whip the egg white just until frothy.
2. Take a small pain brush and spread the egg white on each rose petal or flower. You can also dip the petals or flowers in the egg white, but you might end up with too much egg on your petals. Painting them means a more even layer of sugar.
3. Holding the petals carefully, sprinkle them on all sides with caster or fine sugar (not powdered or granulated, it needs to be fine).
4. Place the flowers on a baking tray and let them dry for a few hours at room temperature.
5. Use crystallised rose petals to decorate cakes or cupcakes, tarts or other desserts.

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ROMANIAN!

Am primit de 8 Martie un trandafir superb de la fratele meu si cum stateam eu si il admiram mi-a venit o idee – de ce sa las frumusetea asta sa se usuce in vaza cand poate servi unui scop mai nobil, acela de a garnisi un tort?! Si cum nu am nevoie decat de o idee si putin timp la dispozitie pentru a o materializa, m-am pus pe treaba si uite asa s-a nascut acest tort cu blat aromat cu fistic si cardamom si o crema fina de mascarpone cu apa de trandafiri. Decorat cu petale de trandafir cristalizate, acest tort e o delicatesa, o incantare pentru pupila si papila.

Ingrediente:

Blat cu fistic:

• 310g faina alba
• 40g amidon alimentar
• 50g fistic macinat
• 1/4 lingurita cardamom macinat
• 1/2 lingurita sare
• 2 lingurite praf de copt
• 4 oua, separate
• 230g unt, temperatura camerei
• 1 lingurita coaja de lamaie
• 230g zahar + 70g zahar
• 125ml lapte
• 125ml lapte batut
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
• 1/2 lingurita apa de trandafiri

Crema de mascarpone:

• 250g mascarpone
• 150g ciocolata alba, topita si racita
• 200ml frisca lichida, batuta
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
• 1 lingurita apa de trandafiri
• 50g fistic tocat
• 200g capsune proaspete, taiate felii

Petale de trandafiri cristalizate:

• Petale de trandafiri (de preferat de la trandafiri ne-tratati sau stropiti chimic)
• 1 albus de ou
• 100g zahar alb fin

Mod de preparare:

Blat cu fistic:

1. Preincalziti cuptorul la 180C si tapetati 2 tavi de copt cu hartie de copt.
2. Amestecati faina, amidonul, fisticul, cardamomul, sarea si praful de copt intr-un bol.
3. In alt bol, mixati untul cu 230g zahar si coaja de lamaie pana obtineti o compozitie cremoasa, deschisa la culoare, cel putin 5 minute.
4. Adaugati galbenusurile, unul cate unul, si mixati alte 5 minute.
5. Combinati laptele, laptele batut, vanilia si apa de trandafiri intr-un vas.
6. Adaugati faina peste amestecul de unt, alternand-o cu laptele. Incepeti cu faina si terminati cu faina.
7. Mixati ouale spuma apoi adaugati 70g zahar, treptat, mixand bine pana obtineti o bezea ferma si lucioasa.
8. Incorporati bezeaua in aluat apoi impartiti blatul intre cele doua tavi.
9. Coaceti pentru 30-40 minute pana blaturile trec testul scobitorii.
10. Lasati blaturile sa se raceasca in tavi apoi taiati fiecare blat in jumatate, obtinand astfel 4 discuri de blat.

Crema de mascarpone:

1. Mixati branza mascarpone cu vanilia si apa de trandafiri.
2. Adaugati ciocolata topita si racita apoi incorporati frisca batuta.
3. Pentru a asambla tortul, asezati un disc de blat pe un platou. Acoperiti cu 2-3 linguri de crema, apoi cu fistic tocat si capsune felii. Asezati un nou disc de blat deasupra si continuati cu mascarpone, fistic, capsune etc.

Petale de trandafir cristalizate:

1. Bateti usor albusul de ou.
2. Pensulati fiecare petala cu albus de ou apoi presarati-o cu zahar. Scuturati excesul de zahar si asezati petalele intr-o tava sau platou. Lasati cateva ore la temperatura camerei sa se usuce si folositi pentru a decora torturi, tarte, cupcakes sau alte deserturi.
3. Acelasi procedeu poate fi folosit si pentru alte flori.