This post and recipe were created for Amoretti! I was sent products to use for recipe creation but as always opinions are 100% mine. #ad
This stunning Vegan Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cake is perfect for the upcoming holidays! Roasted salted pistachios and bittersweet chocolate pair so well together, baked in fluffy vanilla cake layers and covered with pistachio buttercream.
Ooooh you guys! Happy Monday! I am so excited to be sharing this gorgeous new cake with you guys today. I say this every single time I make a new cake, but I really do think this is my favorite one yet! This Vegan Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cake is made of layers of vanilla cake studded with pistachios and chocolate, frosted with pistachio buttercream, and of courseeee crowned with the usual dark chocolate ganache. This pretty cake is actually made in partnership with Amoretti, and I absolutely loved using their products! Read on to see how I used their delicious stuff 🙂
I was so excited when Amoretti reached out and asked if I wanted to collaborate, as their website is seriously a haven for bakers! They sell every extract and flavoring under the sun, as well as ready-made icings, craft purees, seed butters, and spreads. They even have a VEGAN chocolate-hazelnut spread, which you know I just had to buy! I haven't made a recipe with that (yet), but honestly it's a small miracle I haven't eaten the whole jar with a spoon. What really intrigued me was the icings, and I decided to use the pistachio icing as a base for the buttercream for this pistachio chocolate chunk cake. I also used the vanilla bean artisan flavoring in the cake batter!
I'm sure you are wondering, are Amoretti products vegan-friendly? I was pleasantly surprised at how many of their products didn't contain eggs or dairy! Even the icings are totally vegan friendly and even gluten free. I am excited to keep experimenting with the products I got and whip up more yummy recipes!
So you may have noticed I tried something a little different with this vegan pistachio chocolate chunk cake... I broke out the texture comb! It was a fickle little bugger to work with, but I LOVE how the cake turned out. And the chocolate drip did a lot to hide any little imperfections! I also am obsessed with the flavors of this cake - it is just such a good bake. The rich vanilla cake base played so well with roasted salted pistachios and 70% dark chocolate to deliver a delicious balance of flavors. I am just obsessssedddd.
I hope you guys will give this pistachio chocolate chunk cake a try because it is seriously SO delicious! If layer cakes are a bit too scary, you can definitely make this as a loaf or a small bundt instead 🙂 Or you can bake the layers in two 8" pans for a simpler cake!
Looking for more pistachio recipes?
- Vegan Cherry Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Coconut Pistachio Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Vegan Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Olive Oil Loaf Cakes
- Mini Raspberry Pistachio Tartlets
- *for the cake*
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoon water
- ⅔ cup nondairy milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegan butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup nondairy yogurt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon Amoretti vanilla natural flavor
- ½ cup roasted & salted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 4 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- *for the frosting*
- ¾ cup vegan butter
- ¾ cup shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup Amoretti pistachio gourmet icing
- 1-2 tablespoon nondairy milk, as needed
- *for the ganache*
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or pieces
- 3-4 tablespoon nondairy milk, as needed
- First, make the cake. Preheat oven to 350F and spray two 6" round cake pans with nonstick baking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed with the water and set aside to thicken.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Add in the vegan butter, and beat on low until it's incorporated and has a sandy texture.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, flaxseed mixture, nondairy yogurt, and vanilla flavoring, and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Pour in the nondairy milk, and mix until combined. Finally, stir in the chopped pistachios and chocolate.
- Divide batter evenly among the 2 pans, and bake for 35-40 minutes until cake is set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.
- When ready to assemble, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat together the shortening and vegan butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the pistachio icing.
- Mix in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until a thick frosting forms. It is normal to have to add 2-3 tablespoon of milk to get the frosting to the right consistency. You want it to be soft but still hold its shape.
- To assemble, first cut the cakes in half diagonally to create 4 cake layers. Place 1 layer down on a cake board or plate, and top with some frosting. Repeat with all.
- Be sure to set some frosting aside if you want to use it for decorating the top (or you can make another ½ batch if needed). Use the rest of the frosting to coat the outside of the cake.
- Finally, make the ganache. Combine the chocolate chips with 1-2 tablespoon of the nondairy milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring in-between, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add more non-dairy milk as needed until ganache is smooth, shiny, and thin enough to easily run off a spoon.
- Decorate the top as desired with the ganache. I like using a squeeze bottle for easier decorating.
- Let the cake chill for 10-15 minutes so the ganache can set, then you can decorate the top with the reserved frosting. I used a 1M tip to make the fluffy dollops. Finish off the cake with desired sprinkles. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Neha says
loved this chocolate cake recipe, thanks for sharing.
SR says
I used your recipe for the pistachio buttercream frosting and totally loved it. I had to make my own pistachio paste as the Amoretti icing was not available. Thanks for this recipe!