Mocha-Pistachio Wedding Cake – a delicious recipe with butter, batter, pistachio, Simple Syrup, Buttercream, Mocha Buttercream. Easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.
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Preheat the oven to 350F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
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Generously butter two 6-by-3-inch round cake pans, two 10-by-3-inch round cake pans, and two 14-by-3-inch round cake pans; set aside.
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Bake the white cakes: Divide about a third of the cake batter among one each of the 6-inch, 10-inch, and 14-inch pans, so that each is filled with about 1 inch of batter.
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(You will need about 2 cups batter for the 6-inch pan, 5 cups for the 10-inch, and 10 cups for the 14-inch.)
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Set aside remaining cake batter.
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Bake until the cakes are golden and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes for the 6-inch layer, 30 minutes for the 10-inch layer, and 40 minutes for the 14-inch layer.Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Cakes can be refrigerated in their pans, and wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 week.
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Bake the pistachio cakes: Add the pistachio extract to the remaining two-thirds batter, and fold to combine.
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Distribute the pistachio cake batter among the remaining pans so that there is about 1 1/2 inches of batter in each pan (about 3 cups batter for the 6-inch pan, 7 1/2 cups for the 10-inch, and 15 cups for the 14-inch).
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Bake until the cakes are golden and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes for the 6-inch layer, 35 minutes for the 10-inch layer, and 50 minutes for the 14-inch layer.
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Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store cakes as above.
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Prepare the cake layers: Working with one layer at a time, remove a cake from the refrigerator and place on a clean work surface.
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Trim the tops of the white cakes to make level; set aside.
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Trim the tops of the pistachio cakes to make level.
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To cut each pistachio cake into two layers, insert toothpicks at 2-inch intervals around the cakes circumference, halfway up the side.
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Holding the top of the cake steady with one hand, use the serrated knife to slice through the cake just above the toothpicks; carefully cut all the way through the cake with a gentle sawing motion.
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Set the two layers aside, and repeat with remaining cakes.
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Assemble the tiers: Place the bottom layer of the 6-inch pistachio cake, cut side up, on a 6-inch cardboard round.
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Brush the layer with some of the Simple Syrup (about 2 tablespoons).
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Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain round pastry tip (such as an Ateco #806), and fill halfway with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
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Pipe buttercream in a circle around the top edge to create a dam.
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Remove the Mocha Buttercream and Mocha Pastry Cream from the refrigerator, and stir pastry cream until smooth.
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Using an offset or rubber spatula, spread a 1/2-inch-thick layer of Mocha Buttercream (about 3/4 cup) over the top of the layer, inside the dam.
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Place the 6-inch white cake layer, cut side up, on the bottom pistachio layer; brush the top with some syrup.
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Repeat the piping of the Swiss Meringue Buttercream to create a dam, and fill in with a 1/2-inch-thick layer of Mocha Pastry Cream.
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Place the top layer of the pistachio cake, trimmed side up, on the middle cake layer; brush with syrup.
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Using a large offset spatula, spread a thin layer of Swiss Meringue Buttercream over the assembled tier, starting from the top center and working toward the edge, and then spreading over the sides.
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Cover all of the exposed cake; this will help to seal in crumbs and create a flawless finish.
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Use the spatula to smooth as much as possible, but dont worry about making it look perfect, as it will be covered by more buttercream.
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Refrigerate (uncovered) for at least 1 hour or overnight.
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Repeat to assemble remaining tiers, placing the 10-inch bottom layer on a 10-inch cardboard round and the 14-inch bottom layer on a 14-inch cardboard round.
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You will need about 1/4 cup syrup for each 10-inch cake layer, and 1/2 cup syrup for each 14-inch layer.
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Allow about 2 1/2 cups each buttercream and pastry cream for the 10-inch tier, and 5 cups for the 14-inch tier.
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Assemble the cake: Remove the 14-inch tier from the refrigerator.
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Using the offset spatula, apply another (thicker) layer of Swiss Meringue Buttercream, starting at the top and then frosting the sides.
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Smooth the sides with a bench scraper, and the top with the spatula.
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For the cleanest surface and neatest edge, wipe off the spatula, dip it in a glass of hot water, and dry it with a clean kitchen cloth; use the warm spatula to smooth the top.
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Insert a wooden dowel vertically through the center of the 14-inch tier; mark the dowel with a sharp knife at the point where it is level with the top of the cake, then remove the dowel.
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Using garden shears, cut the dowel at the marked point.
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Using this dowel as a guide, cut five more dowels to this length.With a toothpick, trace a 10-inch circle on top of the 14-inch tier (hold an empty cake pan or pot lid above the cake as a guide).
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Insert five dowels at regular intervals in a circle, just inside the traced circle; be sure to space the dowels evenly in order to fully support the upper tiers.
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Insert the final dowel in the hole in the center.
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Remove the 10-inch tier from the refrigerator.
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Frost with a second layer of Swiss Meringue Buttercream, as described above.With a wide offset spatula, carefully lift the 10-inch cake from the cardboard round, and center it over the marked circle on the 14-inch tier; gently lower onto the tier, carefully removing the spatula once the cake has settled.
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Remove the 6-inch tier from the refrigerator.
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Frost with a second layer of Swiss Meringue Buttercream, as described above.Trace a 6-inch circle on the top of the 10-inch tier; lift the 6-inch tier off the cardboard round, center the cake over the marked circle on the 10-inch tier, and gently lower onto cake.
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Carefully remove the spatula.
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Transfer Swiss Meringue Buttercream to a clean pastry bag.
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Using a medium-size leaf tip (such as an Ateco #69), pipe leaves of buttercream in two layers along the top edge of each tier.
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Switch to a medium plain round tip (such as an Ateco #10), and pipe a border of beads around the base of each tier.
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Switch to a small plain round tip (such as an Ateco #6), and pipe three small dots in a triangle formation above the beaded borders at 3/4-inch intervals; pipe identical dot-clusters just below the bottom rows of leaves at the same interval.
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Decorate the finished cake with fresh garden roses, placing a few on each tier, as well as at the base of the cake.
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After the pistachio layers are trimmed and leveled, they are marked with toothpicks halfway up the sides, then cut in half.
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Each layer is lightly brushed with Simple Syrup to moisten the cake and add sweetness.
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A dam of buttercream is piped around the perimeter of the bottom layer to hold the filling in place.
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Mocha Buttercream is spread over the bottom layer of the tier within the dam.
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The middle layer is placed on top and spread with Mocha Pastry Cream.
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Using an offset spatula, the vanilla frosting is spread over the assembled tier; its best to start in the center and work out.
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The frosting is smoothed with an offset spatula to make a crumb coat, then the cake is put in the refrigerator to set.
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Running a bench scraper around the sides of the cake creates a smooth and uniform surface.
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Wooden dowels inserted vertically into the bottom tier provide support for the top two tiers of the cake (see here).
* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.
No additional tips available.
No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.
You need 8 ingredients. The key ingredients include: Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pans, 4 recipes White Cupcake batter (page 169), 1/4 cup pure pistachio extract, Simple Syrup (page 214), and more.
Yes, Mocha-Pistachio Wedding Cake falls under the Baking & Desserts category and is a great choice for this type of meal.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–5 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months — no need to refrigerate or reheat.