Pistachio Raspberry Cake

"Baking and frosting a cake from scratch can be challenging. But you don't have to cook it all in one day," says Rosie Dykin, the cheerful and talented owner of Vancouver's Butter Baked Goods store. First, bake the cakes and let them cool; the next day, make the icing and assemble the cake. For more even and efficient freezing, use a sturdy rotating cake stand. Also very useful: a round cardboard cake board on which to lay out the cake - "this makes it much easier to apply the icing, move and slice the cake" - and a large offset spatula. All this can be found in kitchen appliance stores and online.
Preheat the oven to 350 ° C with a wire rack in the center. Brush two 8-inch diameter muffin tins with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper, cut to size.In a stationary mixer with a spatula attachment (or in a hand mixer with an egg whisk attachment; the whisk attachment will not allow the dough to mix properly), beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Clean the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway.Add the sugar to the butter and beat on high speed until smooth. "Every time the spatula is turned, sugar crystals penetrate the butter, creating small air bubbles for a lush cake." Clean the sides and bottom of the bowl. Combine the egg whites and vanilla on low speed, then beat on high speed until thick and smooth; clean the bowl again. "Scraping off the bowl is a huge job. If you see butter on the bottom when you pour the dough into the molds, this is a beginner's mistake."On a large sheet of parchment paper, sift the flour and baking powder. Add some salt.Turn down the mixer speed. Take the parchment from opposite corners and pour about a third of the flour mixture into the bowl; mix until smooth. Clean the bowl, then drizzle with half the buttermilk and mix thoroughly. "Otherwise, gluten can develop in the flour, and your cakes will turn out to be tougher, denser, and sometimes sticky." Repeat, then add the remaining third of the flour mixture in the same way. Clean it again, "then give it a finishing touch."Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans, flattening the tops with a rubber spatula. Tap the molds on the countertop a couple of times to remove unnecessarily large air pockets. Bake on a central rack, turning 180 ° until the middle, until the top is pale golden, the sides are dark brown and slightly off the sides, and the top is slightly springy when pressed, 30 to 50 minutes. "Don't bake it too hard, otherwise it will be dry."Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the molds. Flip the cakes onto a cooling rack, "so that their tops line up," and let them cool completely.Split cakes: Cover the rotating cake stand with a sheet of plastic wrap and place one of the cakes on top. Using a large, serrated knife, carefully cut the cake horizontally and evenly in half, rotating the stand so that the knife goes deeper into the cake. Holding the sides with plastic wrap, remove the layers from the stand and repeat with the second cake to get only 4 layers. Set aside 1 bottom layer to form the top of the cake later (it will be more even).Cover the cake with icing: Place a cake board on the stand and spread about a tablespoon of raspberry icing - "this is your glue". Select the most even layer and spread it in the center. Using an offset spatula, apply a generous amount of 1/2 cup raspberry glaze. Add 1 cup of raspberries, evenly distributing them in portions, before adding, mash each tortilla with your fingers. Put a second layer on top and press it down slightly so that no air pockets form. Make 2 more layers with raspberry icing, raspberries and cakes (use the remaining layer, cut side down, for the top of the cake).Roll in crumbs: With the back of a spatula, apply a thin layer of pistachio icing to the top and bottom sides of the cake, making reciprocating movements to rub the icing into the cracks. Cool for at least 15 minutes to allow the glaze to set. "At this stage, all the crumbs are kept inside," says Daikin, " so that they don't seep through the last layer of frosting and ruin its appearance.Top layer: Spoon the frosting on top, then smooth it out on the sides. Brush more icing on the sides of the cake to make it look like a castle. While holding the cake scraper, wrap your arm around it as wide as possible, then turn the stand towards you, pressing the scraper against the icing so that it smooths out and strengthens the rim. To cover with icing, run the long edge of the spatula over the top of the cake, leaving as many edges as possible so that the cake looks tall and straight, and not sagging.Cover the cake: Place the pistachios in a large bowl. Slide the offset spatula under the cake board to remove the board from the stand and place it with the cake in the palm of your hand. Hold the cake over the bowl and lightly press a handful of nuts, shavings, or topping onto the cake, moving from bottom to top; they will instantly stick to the icing. Turn the pie over so that it is covered with a crust.Prepare in advance: up to 1 day at room temperature and up to 1 month frozen. Bake the cakes and let cool, then cut each into 2 layers. Lay out layers between sheets of parchment paper, wrap in plastic wrap and leave on the table overnight (or freeze in a resealable freezer bag). On the day you plan to serve, prepare the buttercream and assemble the cake (you can freeze the cake frozen, but let it warm to room temperature before serving).