This raspberry pistachio cake roll is soft, fluffy, with loads of nutty pistachio flavor and an ultra creamy tart raspberry mascarpone filling with fresh raspberries. I finished it off with a two ingredient pistachio cream and more ground pistachios to resemble moss. A few wafer paper edible decorative butterflies bring in a whimsical touch.
The nutty, airy pistachio sponge pairs perfectly with the tart mousse-like raspberry filling. And the two ingredient decadent pistachio cream topping adds a beautiful rich and decadent component that's packed full of pistachio flavor.
Jump to:
- 🎂 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- 📝 Key ingredients
- 👩🍳 How to make pistachio cake roll
- Pistachio cake roll sponge step by step
- Raspberry filling and assembly step by step
- Pistachio cream topping
- ✔️ Expert swiss cake roll tips
- 🥄 Make ahead and storage
- 🍥 How I prevent my swiss roll cake from cracking
- 📖 Recipe FAQs
- 🍓 More related recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🎂 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Light and fluffy pistachio sponge cake: The cake is packed full of ground pistachios for loads of pistachio flavor with a soft and light as cloud texture
- Raspberry mascarpone filling: The filling is a sweet, tart raspberry mousse-like cloud with fresh raspberries folded in.
- Pistachio cream topping: A simple pistachio cream topping piped on the cake adds even more pistachio flavor and an indulgent, creamy element.
- Easy cake roll: This raspberry pistachio cake goes in detail with every single step to successfully create a stunning cake roll. It's way less intimidating than you think!
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Pistachios: I used shelled, salted and roasted pistachios since they're the easiest to find. I recommend using roasted pistachios because they have more flavor. Also, the salt adds a lovely flavor and really brings out the pistachio flavor. Try the pistachios before adding them into the cake batter - if they're way too salty, you can rinse them off and pat them dry before grinding them. But a little to moderately salty is exactly what we need.
Eggs: Eggs form the base for the sponge cake. It's important to whip them up with the sugar until they become light and fluffy because that's what is going to add so much body into the cake.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Almond extract: A touch of almond extract helps amplify the pistachio flavor in this raspberry pistachio cake roll.
Raspberries: A raspberry sauce is made out of fresh or frozen raspberries that then gets folded into the mascarpone whipped cream to create a vibrant pink raspberry filling. I recommend that you use fresh raspberries for poking into the filling and decorating on top.
Heavy whipping cream: I used chilled 35% whipping cream for the filling. Make sure it's cold, right out of the fridge so that it can whip up to stiff peaks.
Mascarpone cheese: This adds a milky, creamy, slightly tangy flavor into the filling. It also helps stabilize the whipped cream filling, making it easier to get perfect slices. If you can't find or don't like mascarpone cheese, I recommend substituting it with cream cheese.
Pistachio spread: Pistachio spread is a sweet, green spread that tastes like a milky or white chocolate pistachio "nutella." It's absolutely delicious and adds even more pistachio flavor to the cake. You can purchase it in most European or Italian stores, or online.
👩🍳 How to make pistachio cake roll
Pistachio cake roll sponge step by step
Prep: Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line the bottom of a 9" by 13" pan (or similar sized pan) with parchment paper. Grind the pistachios in a food processor or spice grinder to form a flour like texture.
Step 1: In a large, clean bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and beat the egg mixture until lightened in color and creamy. It's ready when you lift up the whisk and draw a figure eight with the batter falling off the whisk. This will take about ten minutes.
Step 2: Add vanilla, almond extract, and green food coloring (optional) into the egg mixture. Beat to combine.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Then, add the ground pistachios. Fold the batter gently with a whisk, by hand, to combine.
Step 3: Spread the batter into the lined baking sheet. Gently spread it all the way to the edges.
Bake the batter in the preheated oven for 17 - 18 minutes; until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.
Set a timer for 3 minutes immediately once the cake layer comes out of the oven.
Step 4: Once the three minutes are up, carefully flip the pan out onto a clean kitchen cloth using oven mitts. Carefully peel back the parchment paper. Flip it over again. Starting with the short end, roll the cake gently into a roll.
Let the cake layer cool in a roll. Work on the filling as it cools.
Raspberry filling and assembly step by step
Step 1: Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook until raspberries break down, about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Strain the raspberry sauce through a sieve, using a whisk to help push the sauce through. Discard the seeds.
Step 3: Then, pour the cold cream into a large bowl. Use an electric mixer and a whisk attachment to whip the cream to medium stiff peaks.
Step 4: Add the mascarpone cheese into the whipped cream and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Add the cooled raspberry sauce into the filling. Mix together gently.
Step 5: Working carefully, slightly unroll the cake and remove the towel.
Spread the raspberry filling in an even layer into the cake. Add fresh raspberries. Roll up the cake into a tight roll and place it on your serving plate.
Step 6: Cover and refrigerate the cake roll for at least 4 hours. It tastes even better if you let it set overnight. This will allow the filling to set so that you could cut clean slices.
Pistachio cream topping
Step 1: Cut the ends off with a clean, sharp knife before serving.
Step 2: Combine whipping cream and pistachio spread in a large bowl. Whisk using an electric mixer until it thickens and increases in volume, about 5 minutes. Pop it into the freezer to set for 15-20 minutes.
Transfer the pistachio mixture into a piping bag with a round tip or with the end cut off. Pipe the topping onto the cake roll as a squiggle.
Step 3: Sprinkle crushed pistachios over and around the cake and decorate with fresh raspberries. I also added edible butterfly wafers for a whimsical look.
✔️ Expert swiss cake roll tips
- Carefully fold in the flour and pistachios: You want to be very gentle with the batter so that it doesn't deflate. I recommend folding carefully with a wire whisk, by hand. Stop folding as soon as you stop seeing dry streaks of flour.
- Don't over or under bake the cake: Bake it just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a crumb or two attached. It shouldn't come out covered in batter. Perfectly baking the swiss roll cake prevents it from cracking!
- Let the cake sit for 3 minutes before rolling: I found that if I rolled the cake immediately, it was more prone to cracking than if I waited 3 minutes. Set a timer because if you wait longer it is more likely to crack.
- Chill the filled cake for at least 4 hours or overnight: This allows the filling to set and helps the flavors develop. You can top the cake with pistachio cream and berries before or after chilling the cake.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
This raspberry pistachio cake roll is perfect to make ahead of time because it tastes and slices even better if it sits in the fridge overnight! Store it in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
Freeze any leftover cake in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 months. This cake freezes well, but keep in mind that the fresh raspberries in the filling will lose their shape in the freezer.
🍥 How I prevent my swiss roll cake from cracking
I've made quite a few swiss roll cakes over the years. I find them so gorgeous and relatively low fuss since you don't have to frost and smooth out any sides like a tiered cake. Here are two main tips that I found prevented a cracked cake roll almost every time.
I do admit that I'm not perfect and will still occasionally experience a rare cracked cake. When that does happen, I either strategically decorate the top with toppings (i.e., pistachio cream, raspberries, butterflies...), or cover the whole roll in frosting or glaze. Honestly, it's still beautiful however it works out.
My four main tips are:
- Don't under bake your sponge cake. Start poking the center with a toothpick once it has baked for 15 minutes to test if it's ready. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Let the cake rest for THREE minutes before rolling. Most recipes state that you should roll it immediately, but I found that my cake roll was even more prone to cracking when it hasn't had a chance to "set." I found that if I waited for longer than 5 minutes, the sponge cake cools down too much and is more prone to cracking as well.
- Don't unroll the bake before it cools completely: If you unroll the sponge cake while it's still warm it's much more likely to crack on the inside!
- Don't unroll the raspberry pistachio roll all the way: When filling it with the raspberry whipped cream, I don't unroll the cake all the way to the edge to prevent it from cracking in the middle. I use my spatula to push the frosting into the inside crevice.
Read more tips in my pumpkin cheesecake roll and my mango coconut swiss roll cake.
📖 Recipe FAQs
At least 4 hours for the best texture or flavor. Even better if you let it set overnight.
You definitely could, but I found that roasted and salted pistachios also gave a lovely flavor. And they're more affordable. If you prefer raw pistachios, you could use those instead.
I recommend either fresh or frozen for the sauce that goes in the filling, and fresh for the ones that get poked into the filling and used to decorate the top.
🍓 More related recipes
Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Follow me on Pinterest to save and for more recipe ideas.
📖 Recipe
Raspberry Pistachio Cake Roll
Equipment
Ingredients
Pistachio Sponge Cake
- ¾ cup pistachios shelled, salted, and roasted
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Green food coloring optional, as needed
- ¼ teaspoon natural almond extract
- ¾ cup all purpose flour 90g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Raspberry Filling
- 2 cups raspberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese cold
- 1 cup raspberries fresh
Pistachio Topping and Decoration
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream cold
- ½ cup pistachio spread cold
- ¼ cup fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons pistachios ground
- edible wafer butterflies
Instructions
Pistachio Sponge Cake
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line the bottom of a 9" by 13" pan (or similar sized pan) with parchment paper. Grind the pistachios in a food processor or spice grinder to form a flour like texture. It's ok if there are some larger pistachio pieces.¾ cup pistachios
- In a large, clean bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and beat the egg mixture until lightened in color and creamy. It's ready when you lift up the whisk and draw a figure eight with the batter falling off the whisk. This will take about ten minutes.6 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add vanilla, almond extract, and green food coloring (optional) into the egg mixture. Beat to combine.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, Green food coloring, ¼ teaspoon natural almond extract
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Then, add the ground pistachios. Fold the batter gently with a whisk, by hand, to combine.¾ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Spread the batter into the lined baking sheet. Gently spread it all the way to the edges.
- Bake the batter in the preheated oven for 17 - 18 minutes; until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is lightly browned. Set a timer for 3 minutes immediately once the cake layer comes out of the oven.
- Once the three minutes are up, carefully flip the pan out onto a clean kitchen cloth using oven mitts. Carefully peel back the parchment paper. Flip over again. Starting with the short end, roll the cake gently into a roll. Let the cake layer cool in a roll. Work on the filling as it cools.
Raspberry Filling
- Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook until raspberries break down, about 10 minutes.2 cups raspberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Strain the raspberry sauce through a sieve, using a whisk to help push the sauce through. Discard the seeds.
- Then, pour the cold cream and vanilla extract into a clean large bowl. Use an electric mixer and a whisk attachment to whip the cream to medium stiff peaks.1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the mascarpone cheese into the whipped cream and whisk until stiff peaks form. Add the cooled raspberry sauce into the filling. Mix together gently.1 cup mascarpone cheese
- Working carefully, slightly unroll the cake and remove the towel. Spread the raspberry filling in an even layer into the cake. Add fresh raspberries evenly on top. Then, roll up the cake into a tight roll.1 cup raspberries
- Cover and refrigerate the cake roll for at least 4 hours. It tastes even better if you let it set overnight. This will allow the filling to set so that you could cut clean slices.
Pistachio Topping and Decorating
- Cut the ends off the cake roll before serving to clean up the edges. Use a large, sharp knife.
- Combine whipping cream and pistachio spread in a large bowl. Whisk using an electric mixer until it thickens and increases in volume, about 5 minutes. Pop it into the freezer to set for 20 minutes.¼ cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup pistachio spread
- Transfer the pistachio mixture into a piping bag with a round tip or with the end cut off. Pipe the topping onto the cake roll as a squiggle.
- Sprinkle crushed pistachios over the cake and decorate with fresh raspberries. I also added edible butterfly wafers for a whimsical look.¼ cup fresh raspberries, 2 tablespoons pistachios, edible wafer butterflies
Notes
- Carefully fold in the flour and pistachios without overmixing and deflating the batter
- Don't underbake the cake to prevent it from cracking
- Let the cake sit for 3 minutes before rolling to prevent cracking
- Don't unroll the cake before it cools completely
- Don't unroll the cake all the way when filling - use a spatula to push the filling into the inside crevice
- Chill the filled cake roll for at least 4 hours or overnight for the filling to set
Comments
No Comments