I was going to wait until Monday and post this with the other bake off cakes, but I made this tonight and decided I couldn’t wait to share, so I’ll just add a link back here to Marie’s posting. The crumb of this cake is extremely soft, tender, and delicate.

Ooooo, Matthew, it is gorgeous!  You must have spent some time on the pistachios, they are perfectly cut and dust-free, just beautiful. 

Somehow I wasn’t expecting the interior of the cake to be green, so glad you posted the picture of the slice. 

So, were the pistachios noticeably tastier than the California variety?

Matthew, once again I must say omg. What wonderful pictures. More importantly, how did it taste? Was it worth all of the time and expense? I am a huge fan of pistachio. Beth

Matthew,  Beautiful cake! Could you give your tip, as to how you apply the nuts to the sides of your buttercream without messing up the icing? Yours looks picture perfect.

That is beautiful!! Very impressive… again.

That is gorgeous perfection! I think I know what I will be requesting for my birthday cake this year!

There is another pistachio cake recipe I have been wanting to try. It is baked in a loaf pan and has a thick topping of sugared pistachios mixed with citrus zest. One of the Italian restaurants in town serves it, and it is heavenly served warm.

Thank you everyone! To answer questions:

1. I bought the pistachios already slivered, but I did shake them in a sieve to remove the dust

2. The flavor does seem stronger, but to me, it seemed more like a stronger nut flavor (like a roasted, nutty flavor) rather than an over-the-top pistachio flavor (although I think a lot of what we think of as “pistachio” flavor is actually almond extract). Don’t know if that makes sense. What I really like about them is the beautiful emerald color.

3. It is delicious and actually pretty easy to make, doesn’t take long. The pistachios were a fun splurge.

4. I think I pretty much followed what is written in the cake bible regarding applying nuts, although I haven’t read that part in a while. You need the cake on a cake board, and a sheet of paper on the counter, hold the cake at a slight angle close to the paper and toss the nuts up on the sides. They will grab onto the buttercream, which I chilled slightly to hold its shape, but not too much so that it will still be sticky.

I will also add that I used a combination of frangelico and amaretto in the buttercream instead of pistachio essence. I think it flavored the buttercream nicely.

astonishing, as the picture of the book.  where did you buy your already slivered beautiful perfect green pistachios from?  i think it is worth the spurge.

/H

Thanks, they’re from Kalustyan’s.

thx for the resource tip.  btw, your photography isn’t very artistic, but it is spectacularly clear and inviting, book picture perfect.  this may well be the first cake where i don’t go nuts with mac nuts!

I understand what you mean about being artistic as I don’t care to use props or unusual camera angles. I guess it is just my own personal style—somewhat minimalist in that I like simple, straightforward, with focus on the food.

Gorgeous cake! Thank you for the tip about using amaretto and frangelico in the buttercream. I am so eager to try it. Frangelico and amaretto are so delicious.

there is definitely a niche for your photography style, good job again.

I haven’t gone back to compare these pics with those of the carrot cake (my first OMG). I find these to be utterly breathtaking - one is drawn into the subject in the most compelling way. I find them artistic in that they allow the subject to speak to me.

Beautiful cake Matthew - book perfection! It’s interesting to read your conversation with Hector about artistic. I think what’s great about your minimalist style of photography is that there is nothing else to distract the viewers from the cake.

Matthew, your cake looks wonderfully delicious.  I always get inspired when I look on the show and tell threads.  I like your style of photography.  I personally couldn’t care if there are props or special lighting in the photograph.  If the cake looks as a good as this one does, who cares.