Raspberry Pistachio Cake {gluten-free}

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosures.

This Gluten-Free Raspberry Pistachio Cake is beautifully moist and fragrant. Pistachios are blended into a paste as the basis of the sponge and a handful of raspberries are baked into the batter. Finally a tangy raspberry icing is drizzled over the top with fresh raspberries and pistachios to scatter.

this recipe

This Raspberry Pistachio Cake is an ideal example of how you can achieve the most glorious, moist, evenly textured and light cake using a plain gluten-free flour blend that you can get in any supermarket.

I don’t use any xanthan gum in my baking as it doesn’t agree with me but you don’t need these highly processed and hard to digest gums to bake an excellent gluten-free cake.

READ MORE >>> Why I don't Bake with Xanthan Gum

To achieve the perfect texture in this gluten-free Pistachio Cake we use pistachio nuts which are ground into a paste and then used as the basis for the sponge mix along with the gluten-free plain flour. The protein in the pistachio paste helps to structure the cake really well and contribute to a beautifully moist texture.

READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Nut Flours

As a perfect accompaniment to the pistachio we have a very punchy raspberry flavour due to the zingy raspberry icing made with fresh raspberry puree and the mountain of raspberries piled on top of the cake.

Why you’ll love this cake

• A beautiful gluten-free cake made with easy ingredients that you can pick up at any supermaket.
• Using the pistachio paste produced an amazingly textured cake, perfectly moist and spongey. Plus it tastes delicious
• Fresh raspberries are studded throughout the cake
• Gorgeously fruity tangy icing made with fresh raspberries.
• No xanthan gum.

Gluten-free flour required

Gluten-free plain flour

This cake can be made with your favourite brand of gluten-free plain flour. You don't need xanthan gum or a self-raising flour. I like Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour which works perfectly here.

I don't recommend using mono flours here as we need a blend of wholegrain and starchy flours for a good structure and texture.

Substitution. You can use whatever pre-mixed flour blend you have to hand - either branded or a homemade blend.

Ingredients needed

For the pistachio paste:

• Pistachios. You want unsalted roasted pistachios here, weighed after they have been de-shelled.
• Caster sugar. A fine white sugar for sweetness.
• Golden syrup. You need a liquid sugar here to help soften the paste. You can use honey but it will give more flavour to the paste.
• Vanilla extract. For deep vanilla flavour use good vanilla extract. I like to use Nilssen Massey.
• Egg white. The egg white helps bind the paste together.

For the cake:

• Lemon. Use an unwaxed lemon.
• Caster sugar. A fine white sugar for sweetness and a well-structured cake.
• Unsalted butter. Make sure your butter is at room temperature.
• Eggs. This recipe uses medium sized eggs, about 60g each.
• Gluten-free plain flour. see notes above.
• Salt. The salt amps up the flavour of the other ingredients.
• Baking powder. For lift and a tender crumb.
• Raspberries. Fresh raspberries work the best here.

For the raspberry icing:

• Raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen raspberries.
• Icing sugar. (powdered white sugar)

Pro tips

• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature so they mix together evenly.
• It's easiest to make the pistachio paste in the food processor to make sure the nuts are fully ground, you can then add the other ingredients into it to blend smoothly. However, you can use a spice or nut grinder to blitz the pistachios and mix it into the other ingredients by hand into a large mixing bowl.
• To avoid the raspberries from sinking too much in the cake you can coat them with a tablespoon of tapioca flour just before you stir into the cake mixture.

Recommended Equipment

8in Cake Tin

Buy Now →

How to store

Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days in a cool dark place.

How to freeze

You can freeze the cake before you decorate with the icing. Cool completely then wrap in a double layer of cling film and aluminium foil. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To defrost

Remove from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature overnight before unwrapping. Once fully defrosted you can unwrap, decorate with the icing and serve.

Other cake recipes you'll love!

• Blueberry Basil Lemon Drizzle
• Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Blood Orange Rosemary Polenta Cake
• Golden Beetroot Carrot Cake

I urge you to give this Raspberry Pistachio Cake a try. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.

Raspberry Pistachio Cake {gluten-free}

Georgina Hartley

This Gluten-Free Raspberry Pistachio Cake is beautifully moist and fragrant. Pistachios are blended into a paste as the basis of the sponge and a handful of raspberries are baked into the batter. Finally a tangy raspberry icing is drizzled over the top with fresh raspberries and pistachios to scatter.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 12 people

Calories 410 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the pistachio paste:

• ▢ 110 g pistachios + 15g extra for decoration
• ▢ 110 g caster sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 egg white - 30g

For the cake:

• ▢ zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ 210 g caster sugar
• ▢ 210 g unsalted butter - room temperature
• ▢ 5 eggs - medium sized
• ▢ 150 g gluten-free plain flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 120 g raspberries + 75g extra for decoration

For the raspberry icing:

• ▢ 100 g raspberries
• ▢ 150 g icing sugar

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan assisted oven/ gas mark 4 and line and grease an 8 inch cake tin.
• First make the pistachio paste by placing the pistachios in a food processor and blitzing until finely ground. Add the caster sugar, golden syrup, vanilla extract and egg white and blitz again until a paste has formed. Set aside for one moment.
• Place the lemon zest in a food mixer along with the sugar and whisk for a minute together until fragrant.
• Add the butter, one cube at a time and beat on high until light and fluffy.
• Scrape the pistachio paste into the creamed butter and sugar and beat until combined.
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down after each addition.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add it to the rest of the batter until just combined.
• Finally stir in the raspberries.
• Pour into the cake tin, smoothing the top then bake for 60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove from the tin then leave to cool completely before icing.

Raspberry Icing

• Place the raspberries in a medium sized saucepan and heat gently until the raspberries have broken down into pulp.
• Sieve the raspberry pulp, discarding the seeds.
• Mix the raspberry puree with the icing sugar until a thick icing has formed and spoon onto the cooled cake, pushing the icing gently over the side so it forms droplets. Leave the icing to set for at least an hour
• Pile the extra raspberries on top of the cake
• Finely chop the extra pistachios and scatter over the top of the cake.

Notes

Gluten-Free Flour

This recipe uses Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour which is really easy to find in almost any UK supermarket. You can use any gluten-free flour blend. It does not need to have xanthan gum but if it does it won't affect the bake.

How to store

Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days in a cool dark place.

How to freeze

You can freeze the cake before you decorate with the icing. Cool completely then wrap in a double layer of cling film and aluminium foil. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To defrost

Remove from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature overnight before unwrapping. Once fully defrosted you can unwrap, decorate with the icing and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 81mgPotassium: 205mgFiber: 3gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 575IUVitamin C: 5.3mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 1.2mg

Have you tried this recipe?Head to the comment section and let me know what you think!