Buttermilk Blueberry Cake with Pistachio Cream

Long time no ‘see’, reader! Things have been moving at a very brisk pace around here, the rain finally stopped in mid-April so the clay got firm enough for us to actually start landscaping! And I’ve basically been outside working in the yard non-stop since then. I’m hosting my first photography retreat here in a ...

May 16, 2025 - 03:34

Buttermilk Blueberry Cake with Pistachio Cream

Long time no ‘see’, reader! Things have been moving at a very brisk pace around here, the rain finally stopped in mid-April so the clay got firm enough for us to actually start landscaping! And I’ve basically been outside working in the yard non-stop since then. I’m hosting my first photography retreat here in a couple weeks, so there’s been much to do to get the garden looking nice and cozy (and less like a big pile of mud). But my mother’s birthday was late last month, and I was able to take a break from yard work to make this SUPER tasty buttermilk blueberry cake for her special day. Her one request was “pistachio something”, so I used crema al pistacchio in the buttercream for extra buttery-ness and that wonderfully warm and slightly sweet flavor that’s signature of pistachios. The recipe was a huge hit and everyone took a slice home afterwards so they could continue to enjoy it (folks asking to take some home is always indicative of a successful cake experiment).

There’s also a good amount of almond flour in the cake itself—I love the delicate flavor it adds to baked goods (and it’s a lot better for you than plain old flour, too. Not that this cake has excellent nutritional value….I mean, it is a cake. But still, you gotta pack those nutrients in where you can!) You can definitely feel free to garnish with edible flowers if you want, I used oregon grape blossoms since that’s what was blooming around here, but any edible flower will do. As for the buttercream, the key is to start with the paddle attachment on the stand mixer, and then switch to the whisk attachment and keep beating it until it gets SUPER fluffy (the crema al pistacchio will definitely help with the whipping and fluffiness due to the fat content). In the end, the icing texture should be somewhere between buttercream and a sturdy whipped cream. Silky, fluffy, but stable enough to sculpt as you wish and have it hold a shape.

Well, I’m off to go to my CSA pick up (time’ a-calling), so I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet post and give yourself a little buttermilk blueberry cake treat this spring. And if you’re looking for another blueberry sweet, these blueberry curd tartlets are a favorite of mine. I will be back again in a couple weeks once the workshop whirlwind settles back down again, with a tasty liqueur recipe. Talk soon!!

Buttermilk Blueberry Cake with Pistachio Cream

This buttermilk blueberry cake is topped with silky pistachio cream for a one-of-a-kind dessert that's certain to please. Enjoy, my friend!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword buttermilk blueberry cake

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings people

Calories 468kcal

Ingredients

uttermilk Blueberry Cake

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour or 1:1 GF flour mix
1 ½ cups almond flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
8 ounces blueberries fresh or frozen

Pistachio Cream

¾ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
150 grams crema al pistacchio https://amzn.to/3HbtPf9
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Garnish

5 ounces blueberries fresh
2 tablespoons edible flowers optional

Instructions

Buttermilk Blueberry Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease (2) 8-inch cake pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
Set aside 1/4 cup of the all purpose flour. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed until the mixture lightens in color and becomes fluffy in texture, about 5 minutes or so. Reduce the speed to medium low and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low, and alternate between adding the buttermilk and the flour mixture in 3 increments. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until *just* combined. Take ¼ cup of the blueberries and set them aside. Toss the remaining blueberries in a small bowl with the ¼ cup of flour (this will help keep thier color from bleeding into the batter when you add them). Add the floured blueberries to the cake batter and stir to incorporate.
Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared cake pans, and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup blueberries on top of the cakes. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack and cooling to room temperature.

Pistachio Cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt for 1 minute at medium high speed until slightly whipped. Add the crema al pistacchio (https://amzn.to/3HbtPf9) and beat for another minute to combine.
Add the powdered sugar and beat at low speed at first (you don’t want powdered sugar flying all over), and then once incorporated increase the speed to medium high. Beat until the mixture lightens in color, about 2 minutes, then switch to the whisk attachment and continue beating until you have a light fluffy consistency, about 6-8 minutes or so.

Assembly

Ice the top of one of the layers of the cake using a rubber or icing spatula with a thick layer of the pistachio cream. Place the other layer on top, and add the rest of the pistachio cream, shaping it into a big dollop with your spatula, and makin a small bowl shape in the center for the blueberries. Add the blueberries into the bowl shape, and dot with edible flowers and serve. Will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, but best enjoyed within 2 days.