The Best Pistachio Lemon Cake with Lemon Frosting!

By Tatyana's Everyday Food · 150 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment, or grease them with non-stick spray.
2. Put the sugar in a large bowl, add the lemon zest and rub it into the sugar with your fingers. Squeeze the juice from the zested lemons to get ½ cup and add it to the bowl.
3. Add the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, vanilla and lemon extract and whisk or beat until combined.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt into the wet mixture and mix just until combined. Fold in the finely diced pistachios. Pulse them in a food processor for one minute first if you prefer them finer.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, using a kitchen scale for accuracy, and spread level with an offset spatula.
6. Bake at 350°F for 22 to 24 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned, the cake springs back when pressed, and a toothpick in the centre comes out clean.
7. Cool the cakes in their pans for 5 minutes, then turn them onto a wire rack and peel off the parchment.
8. For the frosting, beat the softened butter alone for 7 to 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the softened cream cheese and beat for about 5 minutes until combined.
9. Add the zest of 1 lemon, lemon extract, vanilla, sea salt and half the powdered sugar and mix on low for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the sugar, then beat on medium-high for 4 to 6 minutes until fluffy and creamy. If the frosting gets too soft, chill the bowl for 1 hour and mix again.
10. Level the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife and brush each layer lightly with milk.
11. Spread a generous amount of frosting between the layers with an offset spatula.
12. Spread a thin crumb coat over the outside, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once chilled, apply a generous final layer of frosting and smooth it with cake scrapers.
13. Press finely ground pistachios onto the sides if you like. Pipe dollops of leftover frosting on top and decorate with lemon wedges. Serve at room temperature; refrigerate for longer storage and let it warm to room temperature before serving.

Summarized from Tatyana's Everyday Food's video. Watch it for the details.

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EggLemonMilkCream cheeseSour creamPistachio