Birthday season is upon us! This cake is not for everyone in the family. Truth be told one or two people may have turned up their noses – and that’s fine – they’ll have their own sweet treats next month.

But this cake was for me, my oldest, & her partner. And because we share around here, some coworkers, too.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 cup butter 

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1tbsp lemon zest

The juice of 2 lemons

1 1/3 cups Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

1 1/2 cups unsalted ground pistachios

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 teaspoon baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups ground unsalted pistachios 

3 cups flour 

For the frosting:

1 block cream cheese, room temperature

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pistachio extract

5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 cups unsalted ground pistachios

4 tbsp milk

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 9- inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray.
• In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Mix in milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sour cream until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground pistachios, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans.
• Bake for 28-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Frosting & Assembly:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, pistachio extract, powdered sugar, salt, ground pistachios, and milk until smooth and fluffy.
• Place the first cake layer on a cake stand and spread an even layer of frosting. Repeat with remaining layers, then frost the outside of the cake.

Enjoy!

Adapted slightly from: https://thesaltycooker.com/pistachio-cake-with-pistachio-buttercream/