Raspberry Pistachio Cake with Mascarpone-Cream Cheese Frosting

I made this cake for my mother's birthday last year, and I guess it was quite an achievement, since it was the first big project I had ever achieved. This cake took me months of planning, sneaky shopping and excuses and three days of non-stop baking, piping and creating. I remember all the problems that arose back then; how I went to pay for the mascarpone cheese and realised that I was 50c short of the right amount, and how raspberries were not in season so I paid almost $15 for a small box of them.




 I guess it was all worth the effort, and I could say that I was pretty proud of the final look. Mum's guests certainly enjoyed it, and I got a few good comments here and there, but I'm really not the type to bask myself in the wonderful notion of compliments, I just like to learn from what might have went slightly wrong in the cake making process.
Anyway, enough blabbering, I'm sure you want the recipe I used!

• 3 cups flour, plus more for pans
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• ½ – 1 teaspoon raspberry extract (optional)
• red food coloring (optional, amounts will vary depending on the color you want)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 12 ounces marscarpone cheese
• 2 – 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped

Heat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour two 9″ round cake pans; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together milk, jam, Raspberry extract and food colouring (if using) in a small bowl; set aside. Beat together sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and smooth, 2–3 minutes. In 3 additions, alternately add dry and wet ingredients to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with dry; mix until combined. Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth tops; bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, unmold, then cool completely.

In a large bowl, beat mascarpone and cream cheese on high speed of a mixer until smooth and fluffy, 1–2 minutes. Add 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, and beat until smooth. Add more sugar depending on consistency. You want it to be stiff, the consistency of icing. Fold in pistachios.

Place one cake upside down on a cake stand, and spread 1/3 frosting over top. Cover with second cake, top side up; frost top and sides of cakes with remaining frosting. Garnish with fresh raspberries & chopped pistachios.

- Rachel