High Altitude Strawberry Lemon Pistachio Cake
Three layers of moist lemon pistachio cake, filled with lemon curd, frosted with fluffy strawberry buttercream, and decorated with crushed pistachios and edible dried rose petals.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- 8 inch round cake pans (x3)
Ingredients
Cake
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 oz (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon extract or lemon paste
- 3 cups cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 can (14 oz) full fat or low fat unsweetened coconut milk
- ⅔ cup salted pistachios, very finely chopped
Buttercream & Filling
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp crushed freeze-dried strawberries
- 2 tsp meringue powder (optional)
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ - ½ cup lemon curd
- 2 tbsp pistachios, very finely chopped
- 1 tsp edible dried rose petals (optional)
Instructions
Getting Ready
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line three 8-inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of the pans, and spray the paper with non-stick baking spray.
- Shake the can of coconut milk thoroughly before opening. Some brands of coconut milk separate more than others, with firm lumps of coconut cream that won't mix in. If this happens, you'll need to pour the milk into a saucepan and gently warm it over medium low heat, stirring until all the lumps of cream are melted and the milk is smooth.
- The pistachios should be very finely chopped. I like to do this with a small food processor or ninja.
Cake
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar for five minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Beat in the extracts.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, then whisk in the salt, baking powder and finely chopped pistachios. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened.
- Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, or with moist crumbs clinging to it. Set the pans on a wire rack, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for several minutes until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar, freeze dried strawberries, meringue powder, salt and vanilla, mixing until combined.
- Increase the speed to medium, and whip the buttercream on for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for one more minute.
Assembly
- Place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or serving plate. Spread a layer of buttercream onto the cake, using your spatula to create a half inch "dam" around the edge (or you can do this with a piping bag).
- Spoon several tablespoons of lemon curd onto the buttercream, spreading it out to the "dam". Repeat with a second layer of cake, buttercream and lemon curd, then finish with the third layer of cake on top.
- Frost the cake all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream. Refrigerate the cake for 20-30 minutes (keeping the rest of the buttercream covered), then frost with a final layer of buttercream.
- Before the buttercream crusts over, sprinkle it with the crushed pistachios, and decorate with a few dried edible rose petals.
Notes
Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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