Cardamom Pistachio Rollet

Green swiss roll cake with cream piped topping and swirl.

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This Persian Cardamom Pistachio Rollet brings together the warm, floral sweetness of cardamom and the rich nuttiness of pistachios. The tender, airy cake is paired with structured mascarpone whipped cream that brings a mild tang. The firm creaminess of the mascarpone complements the airy, melt-in-your-mouth sponge perfectly. Together, the cake and cream create a whimsical, delicate treat with just the right amount of richness.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Resting Time1

Total Time1 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Persian

Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 365kcal

Author: Candice Walker

Ingredients

Pistachio Cake

2 eggs
3 egg whites 90 grams
80 grams unsalted pistachios
90 grams granulated sugar divided, 25 + 65
15 grams unsalted butter melted
22 grams all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons

Cardamom Mascarpone Whipped Cream

8 oz. mascarpone cheese
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
1.5 tsp ground cardamom
6 tbsp powdered sugar 45 grams

Instructions

Food process the pistachios until they become fine flour. You can process them until even finer than in the photo above and up to when they start clumping into a paste. I process them for about 1 minute. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 220°C, 425°F.
To the finely ground pistachios, add 2 eggs, 65 grams of sugar, and 22 grams of all-purpose flour. Stir to mix, then mix with a hand mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes until it is pale green.
Next, beat 90 grams of egg whites until fluffy. Add 25 grams of sugar a little at a time and beat to stiff peaks.
Gently fold the egg whites into the pistachio mixture. Then, add the 15 grams of melted butter.
Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper, one stacked on top of the other. This helps prevent too much browning in your cake.
Bake for 10-15 minutes. The time will vary slightly based on your oven, so keep your eyes on it.
Once cooked, set aside the cake aside to cool. When ready to remove it, run a knife along the edge of the baking sheet to gently release the cake. Flip it onto parchment paper, and discard the top layer of baking parchment.
While the cake is cooling, it’s time to make your whipped cream by combining the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and ground cardamom. Whip until the mixture reaches stiff peaks.
Preroll the cake when it is cool enough to touch but still at room temperature. Take your time with this to avoid the cake breaking or cracking. Once rolled, immediately unroll and frost.
Spread an even layer of whipped cream over the cake (unrolled) using about 2/3 of the whipped cream. Reserve 1/3 for the next step. Roll the cake up, wrap it tightly in parchment paper, and refrigerate for one hour.
Once an hour has passed, cut off the ends of the rollet using a serrated knife for a neat finish. Then, pipe or spread the reserved whipped cream on top and cover it with crushed pistachios.

Notes

The homemade pistachio flour needs to be really fine, like almond flour. This gives a smooth texture to the cake. Too many chunks of pistachio will show in the batter and taste unappealing, like soft chunks after baking.

If the cake is overbaked, it will be dry, which will likely lead to cracks when you roll the cake. If it’s underbaked, the cake will likely stick to the parchment paper, making small chunks peel off when you remove the parchment. If this does happen, not to worry. We can work some magic with that mascarpone whipped cream and hide a multitude of sins.

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