Pistachio Pomegranate Cake (video)
This pomegranate cake is a show-stopper in every sense of the word! And the flavors – unbeatable! It’s made with fluffy pistachio sponge cake layers, which are soaked with a pomegranate syrup. The cake is filled and frosted with a the fluffiest whipped cream frosting, garnished with a white chocolate ganache, then topped off with my ‘Chocolate Pomegranate Macarons’! You’ll fall in love with the pistachio sponge cake, which adds a nutty flavor to the cake. The sweet and sour pomegranate syrup perfectly complements the creamy, whipped cream frosting. I love that this cake is not too sweet, which means you can enjoy a second slice.
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The Pistachio Sponge Cake
This cake is so light and fluffy, thanks to the amazing pistachio sponge cake! I’m using my classic sponge cake recipe and adding salted pistachios! The nuts add a little bit of saltiness to the cake, which helps cut through the sweetness and really adds some great flavor! You can also use other chopped nuts for this recipe, such as pecans or almonds. Check out my ‘Vanilla Sponge Cake’ video recipe for an in-depth tutorial!
The Whipped Cream Frosting
This whipped cream frosting is the so fluffy, creamy and flavorful! This European style frosting is one of my personal favorites! It’s the perfect complement to the light and fluffy cake layers. It’s made with cream cheese, butter, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. Make sure to cream together the butter, cheese and condensed milk separately, then combined with the whipped heavy cream. Once you combine the two together, do not overmix! Overmixing the frosting will cause it to separate!
*Please note: the order of ingredients in the recipe card below differs from my original video recipe!
Chocolate Pomegranate Macarons
Garnish this stunning pomegranate cake with chocolate ganache and my decadent ‘Chocolate Pom Macarons’ for the ultimate cake creation! Check out my recipe for a full video tutorial! I like to add some of the macarons on top and serve the rest on the side. The macarons can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to enjoy!
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this delicious, European-style cake? I have so many great cake recipes for you to try!
- Summer Sangria Cake – fluffy sponge cake with whipped cream, sangria and fruit!
- Strawberry Tiramisu Cake – the best no-bake strawberry cake ever!!
- Peach Zefir Torte – sponge cake layers filled with the best peach marshmallow!
- Blackberry Lime Cake – delicate blackberry cake with berry whipped cream!
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Pistachio Pomegranate Cake (video)
Ingredients
For Pistachio Sponge Cake:
- 9 large eggs
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsalted pistachios
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
For Pomegranate Syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
For Frosting:
- 12 ounces whipped cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
For Ganache:
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- white and red food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 3, 8-inch cake rounds with parchment paper; do not grease the sides!
- Prepare the pistachio sponge cake. Place the flour, pistachio nuts and baking powder into a food processor. Pulse the mixture until pistachios are blended into the flour; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat on high speed for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and pale in color. Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in small batches, folding gently but thoroughly after each addition.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the tops are set and golden brown. Allow the cakes to cool completely, then use a serrated knife to split the layers in half, creating 6 layers total.
- While cake is baking, prepare the pomegranate syrup. Combine the pom juice, arils and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium/high heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, allowing the juice to reduce in half. Cool the syrup completely before using in the recipe.
- Prepare the whipped cream frosting (updated). Place softened cream cheese and butter into a large mixing bowl and whisk together on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Next, add in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt and mix again for a few minutes until creamy. In a separate bowl, whisk the chilled heavy cream on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until stiff peaks form. Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream. Whisk on medium speed for about 30 seconds; avoid over-mixing which will cause the frosting to separate!
- Assemble the cake. Pour several tablespoons of prepare pomegranate syrup over each sponge cake layer, top with frosting and repeat for all layers. Use remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Use a flat spatula to level the top and sides, then place the cake into the freezer or refrigerator and allow the cake to set for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the ganache. Heat the 1/3 cup heavy cream until steaming hot, then add the white chocolate chips. Stir the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted. Add white food coloring to make the ganache less opaque, then add red food coloring. Allow the ganache to cool before pouring over the top of the cake.
- Allow the cake to chill and set in the refrigerator overnight.
I have nut allergy, how can I substitute nuts?
Sorry about that! You can omit the pistachios all together and replace the 1/3 cup pistachios with all-purpose flour
Hi Tatyana,
Can I use mascarpone cheese instead of the cream cheese for the frosting?
Hi! Yes, mascarpone cheese should work well for the frosting recipe, too. Enjoy! 🙂