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Cherry pistachio layer cake topped with swirls of pink buttercream and maraschino cherries.

High Altitude Cherry Pistachio Layer Cake

Heather Smoke
Cherry pistachio layer cake made with three layers of fluffy cherry cake, frosted with pistachio buttercream, and topped with swirls of cherry buttercream and sweet maraschino cherries.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings16

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment

Ingredients
 

Cherry Juice Reduction

  • 1 ½ cups tart cherry juice, reduced to 3/4 cup

Cherry Cake

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ cup reduced tart cherry juice, completely cooled
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg whites only (save the extra 2 yolks for another use)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (do not substitute with melted butter)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 small drops pink or red gel food coloring, optional
  • 3 ¼ cups cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)

Pistachio Buttercream

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • cup pistachio butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp meringue powder, optional
  • ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)

Cherry Buttercream

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp meringue powder, optional
  • 2 tbsp reduced tart cherry juice
  • maraschino cherries with stems, drained on paper towels

Instructions
 

Cherry Juice Reduction

  • Pour the tart cherry juice into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer until reduced by half (from 1 1/2 cups down to 3/4 cup).
  • Cool the juice completely before using in the cake and buttercream.

Cherry Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray.
    If making half the recipe for a smaller cake, use three 6-inch round cake pans.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, lemon juice, 1/2 cup reduced cherry juice, eggs, egg whites, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well combined. Whisk in the food coloring, if using.
    I added 2 small drops super red gel food coloring; without the food coloring, the cakes will be a paler pinkish tan color.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, then whisk until everything is evenly distributed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk for about 10-15 seconds, just until combined.
  • Divide the batter between the pans, then bang the pans on the counter a few times to pop any large air bubbles.
  • Bake the cakes until the tops spring back when gently touched, or a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, about 21-25 minutes for three 8-inch cakes, and about 18-20 minutes for three 6-inch cakes.
  • Set the pans on a cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.

Pistachio Buttercream

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter for 1 minute until smooth. Beat in the pistachio butter and vanilla extract.
  • With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar by spoonfuls, the meringue powder and the salt.
  • Increase speed to medium (#6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer) and beat for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for 1 more minute to pop any large air bubbles.
  • Remove the cooled cakes from the pans, and stack, fill and frost the cake with the pistachio buttercream. See How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost a Layer Cake for more tips.
    Refrigerate while you make the cherry buttercream.

Cherry Buttercream

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter for 1 minute until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  • With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar by spoonfuls and the meringue powder, then add 2 tablespoons tart cherry juice reduction.
  • Increase speed to medium (#6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer) and beat for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for 1 more minute to pop any large air bubbles.
  • Fit a piping bag with a coupler and tip #32, fill with cherry buttercream, and pipe the "shell" border around the base of the cake.
  • Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, fill with cherry buttercream, and pipe the swirls on top of the cake.
  • Top the cake with maraschino cherries (making sure to drain the excess juice on paper towels for a few minutes first).
Keyword Cake, Cherry, High Altitude, Pistachio
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