Rose Water Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Rose Petal Decoration Recipe
This Rose Water Pistachio Cake is a delicately flavored dessert combining the nuttiness of pistachio butter with fragrant rose water and creamy white chocolate. Moist and tender, it is topped with smooth rose-infused cream cheese frosting and adorned with beautiful rose petals, making it perfect for special occasions or afternoon tea.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 tsp rose water
- 120g pistachio butter
- 60g white chocolate, melted
- 3 eggs
- 120ml buttermilk or 120g plain Greek style yoghurt
- 200g self-raising flour
Frosting
- 200g icing sugar (confectioners)
- 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 120g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tsp rose powder
- 1 tsp rose water
Decoration
- Fresh, dried, or freeze-dried rose petals
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Tin: Preheat your oven to 170°C (338°F) and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment or grease it well to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Beat Butter, Sugar & Rose Water: In a stand mixer bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, caster sugar, and rose water together until the mixture becomes pale and creamy, incorporating air for a light cake texture.
- Combine Pistachio Butter & White Chocolate: In a separate bowl, mix the pistachio butter and melted white chocolate until smooth, then add this mixture to the butter and sugar blend. Mix thoroughly until fully combined.
- Add Eggs and Dairy: Add eggs one at a time to the batter, beating well after each addition. Then pour in the buttermilk or Greek yoghurt and mix until evenly incorporated.
- Incorporate Flour: Sift the self-raising flour into the batter and gently mix on low speed just until smooth and homogeneous, taking care not to overmix to avoid a tough cake.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing the surface evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. Then loosely cover with foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Cool the cake in the tin briefly before transferring it onto a wire rack. Position the cake with the bottom side facing up, as this side is flat and ideal for icing.
- Prepare the Frosting: Using a mixer, beat together icing sugar, unsalted butter, cream cheese, rose powder, and rose water until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Decorate: Spread the rose-flavored cream cheese icing evenly over the top and sides of the cooled cake. Garnish with rose petals to create an elegant presentation.
- Serve and Store: Cut into 8 slices to serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese frosting, and allow the cake to come back to room temperature before serving to enjoy the best flavor.
Notes
- You can substitute buttermilk with plain Greek yogurt in equal amounts without affecting texture.
- Do not overmix the flour into the batter to keep the cake light and tender.
- Covering the cake with foil halfway through baking prevents over-browning.
- Bring the cake to room temperature before serving to enhance flavor and texture.
- The rose powder adds a subtle floral depth, but if unavailable, increase rose water slightly or omit.
Keywords: Rose Water Cake, Pistachio Cake, Floral Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting, Middle Eastern Dessert, Pistachio Dessert, Rose Petal Cake