Vanilla Bean Layer Cake: Test Kitchen Results
Triple-layer Vanilla Bean Cake, Pistachio Filling with Chopped Pistachios, Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, and a Pistachio Macaron Garnish
What a wonderful cake for just about any occasion – weddings, graduations, birthdays, or garden party. These flavors are very complementary and are quite delicious together. And, I just love the look of this cake. Sometimes, I have a vision of what a cake looks like… and other times, the design develops in place. This cake – went together so quickly and without struggle. It’s just plain exciting when I don’t have to think…just do.
It’s really exciting working with new ingredients. During a trip to Paris, France – I found this amazing jar of Vanilla Beans. I love using really wonderful ingredients.
How I use vanilla beans in this form:
- Measure room temperature milk required for the cake recipe
- Gently flatten the bean with the flat edge of a knife
- With point of knife, split bean in two lengthwise
- Open each half of pod
- With knife edge, scrap seeds of pod and place into milk
- Put vanilla pods in milk
- Warm milk and allow to steep
This is how the cake was constructed…
This first layer looks a bit wonky, but it turned out fine.
The filling and crumb coat was Pistachio Buttercream with an added crunch of roughly chopped pistachio nuts. I use 1 tsp Pistachio extract in place of Vanilla in my standard Buttercream Recipe.
I love the color of this crumb coat and I always knew I would finish it with white vanilla.
This is a complete look. I don’t think it needed anything after that, but I often try. In learning to edit myself I sometimes feel as though I’ve gone too far, but I’m learning. This is a great time to continue practicing what I do.
And then I made some Pistachio Macarons.
I am a bit disappointed in the slice. I didn’t shave away the baked top and bottom surfaces If I had, the colors would be more differentiated and crisp. The taste isn’t affected, but visually there’d be more appeal. I learned on this cake and haven’t finished a Vanilla Cake or White Cake without trimming away the baked bits. It’s the Test Kitchen.
And I love what I get to do. And I love my life partner. Yea for my people and yea for sobriety.
This looks amazing! And I love the editorial critiques and your thought process. So helpful!!
Thank you, Jennifer. It was very good but I am a big fan of Vanilla! Let me know when you try any of these recipes, I’d love to hear how they turn out!