Pretty Blueberry Pistachio Layer Cake For Summer Parties
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This gorgeous Blueberry Pistachio Layer Cake is the perfect addition to your party table this summer. As delicious as it is attractive, all you need to impress your guests with this delightful treat are the following key ingredients – vanilla cake mix, blueberry preserves, and pistachios.
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Blueberry Pistachio Layer Cake
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions, to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
Summertime is the perfect time for get-togethers with family and friends and this pretty blueberry pistachio layer cake is perfect for any summer party!
You’ll start by transforming a box of vanilla cake mix into a moist and flavorful cake by using butter, milk, and eggs (instead of the usual oil, water, and eggs).
Then, the layers are sandwiched with light and fluffy buttercream frosting made with blueberry preserves for added sweetness.
With the same blueberry frosting covering the whole cake, it is finished off with chopped pistachios and swirls of buttercream. You could add some fresh blueberries on top too if you like.
Don’t let the thought of making a layer cake scare you, they are not as hard as you may think!
And besides, what matters the most is the taste, and your guests (and you) will love this delicious cake!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been linked to Amazon or other stores if available online. Staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., aren’t always included here as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ALL ingredients with measurements is found on the recipe card.
- French Vanilla Cake Mix – the usual ingredients are switched out and the cake is enriched with butter, milk, and eggs. If you can’t find French vanilla cake mix locally, you can use regular vanilla instead.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – always buy good vanilla as it really does make a flavor difference.
- Powdered Sugar – also known as Icing Sugar or Confectioners Sugar.
- Blueberry Preserves
- Pistachios
- Dairy – Unsalted Butter, Milk, Heavy Whipping Cream (Double Cream)
- Special Equipment:
- 3 (9-inch) Round Cake Pans
- 1 (10-inch) Round Cake Board
- 1 Large Piping Bag with Large Star Tip – such as a Wilton #1M
- Cake Leveler – or you could use a sharp knife
- Wire Cooling Rack
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Blueberries
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is blueberries, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake Recipe is Perfect for Afternoon Tea!
- Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes with Crumble Topping
- Fresh Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade – Summer Mocktail or Cocktail Mixer!
More Cake Recipes
Looking for more cakes to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Castagnaccio Recipe (A Traditional Tuscan Chestnut Flour Cake)
- Strawberry & Lemon Summer Layer Cake with Lemon Frosting
- Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Recipe Tips
- Place a blob of frosting in the center of the cake board to hold the first layer of cake in place.
- After layering the cake with frosting, add a thin layer of frosting around the top and sides of the cake. This is called a crumb coat. Place the cake in the fridge for about an hour to firm up a little before completely frosting the cake.
- Use a cake turntable and scraper for professional-looking frosting results. Take your time to slather on the frosting, and use the scraper (or spatula/palette knife) to smooth it out, removing any excess back to the bowl. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
- If you are worried about piping swirls on top of the cake, practice on a piece of parchment paper first, and scoop the frosting back into the bag!
How Do I Make A Blueberry Pistachio Layer Cake?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Blueberry Pistachio Layer Cake
This gorgeous Blueberry Pistachio Layer Cake is the perfect addition to your party table this summer
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 (15.25oz/432g) box French Vanilla Cake mix
- 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 1 cup blueberry preserves
- 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream (double cream)
For Topping
- 2 cups chopped pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Spray 3 (9-inch) cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set them aside.
- Using an electric handheld or standing mixer, beat the cake mix, butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until combined and smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before turning out and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When cool, use a knife or cake leveler to remove the dome from the cakes to create even layers.
- To make the frosting, use an electric handheld or standing mixer to beat all of the frosting ingredients together until fluffy and creamy and can hold a peak.
- Transfer 1 cup of frosting into a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip and set it aside.
- To build the cake, place one of the cake layers onto a 10-inch cake board. You can smear a small blob of frosting onto the cake board to hold the cake in place.
- Scoop 1½ cups of frosting on top of the first cake layer and smooth out evenly with a spatula.
- Place the second layer of cake on top and scoop another 1½ cups of frosting and smooth evenly on top of this layer.
- Place the third cake layer on top and frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
- Sprinkle the chopped pistachios in a ring around the top layer of the cake as shown.
- Using the piping bag of frosting, the pipe swirls around the inside of the pistachios.
- Place the cake into the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Equipment Required
- 3 (9-in) round cake pans
- 1 (10-inch) round cake board
- Cake leveler or sharp knife
- Cake turntable and scraper/spatula
- 1 large piping bag with a star tip
- Wire cooling rack
- Cake stand (optional)
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1537Total Fat: 94gSaturated Fat: 50gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 336mgSodium: 906mgCarbohydrates: 163gFiber: 5gSugar: 121gProtein: 17g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Special Dinner!
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Cucumber Smoked Salmon Appetizers Ready in Just 20 Minutes!
- Soup: Gluten-Free Gazpacho Recipe with Chickpea “Croutons”
- Salad: Strawberry Fennel Salad
- Main Dish: Mediterranean Grouper with Tomato-Cucumber Salad
- Side Dish: Tri-Color Roasted Rosemary Potatoes Recipe – A Quick Side Dish
- Beverage: Frozen Watermelon Slush Mocktail (or Spike It With Booze!)
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.