This easy recipe for pistachio cake is a great treat to make for pistachio lovers. Because pistachios have a more subtle flavor than other nuts, the taste is not overpowering and pairs beautifully with the almond extract and vanilla buttercream. It is soft, fluffy, and tastes divine topped with thick creamy frosting.
Baked in less than 30 minutes, this cake is perfect to prepare for a party. The decadent layered look is easy to assemble and makes a gorgeous centerpiece dessert for any occasion. Decorate it with additional chopped pistachios, or leave it plain– either way, the appearance will be beautiful! For more easy cake recipes, try my plumb cake recipe, cinnamon roll cake recipe, or Victoria sponge cake recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Pistachios – choose unsalted shelled pistachios for easier prep. To make ground pistachios, pulse the nuts in a food processor until they are ground into very fine crumbs.
Cake Flour – use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour because it is much finer and makes for a soft, delicious crumb texture and a more tender cake.
Butter – use unsalted butter to avoid making this recipe too salty. Before adding the butter, make sure it is softened enough that your finger leaves a dent when gently pressing on it!
Sugar – granulated sugar is best for this pistachio cake recipe. Its fine, uniform crystals make the texture tender and perfectly sweet.
Eggs – you’ll need 3 large eggs to make this cake. Bring them to room temperature before starting the recipe so they mix into the batter effortlessly to avoid overmixing.
Extracts – use a combination of pure vanilla extract and almond extract to add a rich warmth, complexity, and slightly nutty flavor. I don’t recommend skipping the almond extract because it helps to accentuate the pistachio flavor!
Milk – make sure to buy whole milk and not low-fat milk. Whole milk makes this cake extra moist and provides the best flavor.
How to Make Pistachio Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray three 9-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients except the pistachios: cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract until well combined.
3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined.
4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add half of the milk until just combined. Continue one after the other, alternating between adding another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the batter is mixed well. Stir in food coloring, if using, until the desired color is reached.
5. Fold in the crushed pistachios using a spatula until well incorporated.
6. Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake on the center rack for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the edges of the cake start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper from the bottoms.
7. Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Top with 1 cup of cream cheese frosting, and spread into an even layer to the edges of the cake. Repeat with the second cake layer and frosting.
8. Add the third cake layer and spread the remaining frosting on the tops and sides of the cake. Use a spoon to garnish around the top and bottom edges of the cake with additional finely chopped pistachios. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Keep any leftovers, loosely covered, in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Properly measure the flour. I always recommend using a scale to measure your flour in baking recipes to prevent using too much, which can make the cake too dense. If you don’t have a scale, gently fluff the flour with two spoons before measuring it out in your measuring cups, and then use a knife to level off the top to prevent overpacking.
- Bring all wet ingredients to room temperature. Cold ingredients don’t mix as well in cake batter, which can make the cake texture gummy when overmixed. You’ll get the best-textured cake when you bring the wet ingredients to room temperature before adding them to the recipe.
- Don’t overbake. Be sure to use the center rack in the oven when baking the cakes so they cook evenly. The crumb will be soft and tender if baked properly. Overbaking will dry it out!
- Cool completely before frosting. Let the cake layers cool to room temperature before applying the frosting. This will prevent the frosting from melting when spreading it and give you the best, beautiful frosted texture.
- Double the frosting. This powdered sugar-sweetened cream cheese frosting recipe yields 5 cups, which is great for a less frosted, naked cake look. But if you want a fully covered look, double the recipe for plenty of frosting to decorate as you wish! Alternatively, try my buttercream frosting recipe!
- For an extra dose of pistachio flavor, spread a thin layer of pistachio butter in between each layer on top of the frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
This easy pistachio cake recipe keeps best loosely covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also use a cake dome to keep the cake covered and avoid pressing down on the icing with plastic wrap! Frosted cake can also be frozen. Wrap it up with plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container to store it for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving. You can also individually wrap up unfrosted cake layers to freeze and frost later. Allow to thaw at room temperature before frosting and assembling.
Pistachio cake can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. It makes a tasty addition to an afternoon tea party or brunch served alongside English tea sandwiches, scones, and freshly brewed tea or coffee. Or celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a slice of green cake and an Irish coffee! If you’re hosting a dinner party, serve cake for dessert with an after-dinner beverage like a amaretto sour or an espresso martini.
The pistachios in this cake will give the batter a light natural green hue. If you want a more pronounced green color, add 3 to 6 drops of green food coloring (or until it is the color green you desire) as outlined in the recipe. The food coloring is flavorless and will give the pistachio cake a slightly darker green hue!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Pistachio Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Pistachio Cake
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups unsalted shelled pistachios finely ground (170g)
- 4½ cups cake flour (540g)
- 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups unsalted butter softened (340g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups whole milk room temperature, (480ml)
- 3 to 6 drops green food coloring (optional)
- Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray three 9-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla and almond extract.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture followed by half of the milk. Continue with another third of flour, the remaining milk, then the remaining flour. Stir in food coloring, if using, until the desired color is reached. Fold in the pistachios. Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the edges of the cake start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper.
For the Assembly:
- Place a cake layer on a cake plate. Top with 1 cup of Cream Cheese Frosting, and spread into an even layer to the edge of the cake. Repeat with another cake layer and frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting on the tops and sides of the cake.
- Garnish with additional finely chopped pistachios around the top and bottom edges of the cake. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Keep any leftovers, loosely covered, in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Properly measure the flour. I always recommend using a scale to measure your flour in baking recipes to prevent using too much, which can make the cake too dense. If you don’t have a scale, gently fluff the flour with two spoons before measuring it out in your measuring cups, and then use a knife to level off the top to prevent overpacking.
- Bring all wet ingredients to room temperature. Cold ingredients don’t mix as well in cake batter, which can make the cake texture gummy when overmixed. You’ll get the best-textured cake when you bring the wet ingredients to room temperature before adding them to the recipe.
- Don’t overbake. Be sure to use the center rack in the oven when baking the cakes so they cook evenly. The crumb will be soft and tender if baked properly. Overbaking will dry it out!
- Cool completely before frosting. Let the cake layers cool to room temperature before applying the frosting. This will prevent the frosting from melting when spreading it and give you the best, beautiful frosted texture.
- Double the frosting. This powdered sugar-sweetened cream cheese frosting recipe yields 5 cups, which is great for a less frosted, naked cake look. But if you want a fully covered look, double the recipe for plenty of frosting to decorate as you wish! Alternatively, try my buttercream frosting recipe!
- For an extra dose of pistachio flavor, spread a thin layer of pistachio butter in between each layer on top of the frosting.
Great Recipe as always. 🙂