Cherry Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Sea Salt Whip

I’ve been trying to use more of my pantry leftovers before they start to collect dust, so this was made with a handful of pistachios, half a bag of frozen cherries, and a dream.

As a child, I would always get this sea salt lemon drink from the convenience stores in china. The sea salt was surprisingly floral and added a unique flavor beyond the salinity. Even if you don’t make this cake I highly recommend making the vanilla sea salt whipped cream. Sea salt is an under rated flavor!

This cake today was inspired by the Vesper drink I was kindly sent my Pique Life, who is supporting my I’m work and substack. Vesper is a non-alcoholic aperitif with notes of cherry and red grapefruit, which feels like a perfect way to transition from winter to spring.

Pique combines botanicals like L-theanine, lemon balm, and elderflower to support relaxation, social ease, and clarity. I loved how it captures the ritual of enjoying a drink while still feeling light, which helped inspired this cake recipe.

To support your own seasonal reset, Pique is offering 10% off Vesper for life — the perfect way to enjoy the ritual without compromise. You can explore Vesper and their other products here: https://piquelife.com/allisonvesper

Ingredients

Pistachio Cake

• 300 g (2 cups) cherries, pitted**

• 25 g (2 tbsp) sugar, for the cherries

• 100 g (about ¾ cup) pistachios, finely ground

• 180 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 115 g (½ cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 10 g (2 tsp) vanilla extract

• 160 g (⅔ cup) buttermilk, room temperature

If using fresh feel free to cut the cherries in half and use half this amount.

Vanilla Sea Salt Whipped Cream

• 240 g (1 cup) heavy cream

• 1 tbsp powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean past

• 1/2 tspflaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.

2. Spread the pitted cherries evenly across the bottom of the pan and sprinkle them with 25 g (2 tablespoons) of sugar. Set the prepared pan aside while you make the batter.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until the mixture is evenly combined.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, and then stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Start by adding half of the dry mixture and mix just until mostly combined. Pour in all of the buttermilk and stir until incorporated. Finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients, mixing only until the batter comes together and no large streaks of flour remain.

6. Carefully spoon the finished batter over the cherries in the prepared pan and gently spread it into an even layer so the cherries stay distributed along the bottom.

7. Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the pan, place a serving plate over the top, and carefully invert the cake so the cherries become the top layer. Let the cake cool completely before adding the whipped cream.

Vanilla Sea Salt Whipped Cream

1. Pour the heavy cream into a mixing bowl and whip until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and flaky sea salt, then continue whipping until the cream reaches soft peaks.

2. Once the cake has cooled and been flipped, spoon or pipe the vanilla sea salt whipped cream over the top before serving. If you like, finish with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios for texture.