This super moist and flavorful pistachio cake recipe uses real pistachios (that’s right – no pudding or cake mixes involved!) to create a truly memorable cake that is full of nutty, rich, pistachio flavor. It’s topped with a not-too-sweet pistachio cream cheese frosting that adds a wonderful creamy element to the cake. One word – delicious!!
What is pistachio cake made of?
There are two key ingredients that distinguish a from-scratch pistachio cake from a regular vanilla cake (or pistachio pudding cake that uses something like an instant pistachio pudding mix) and that is real pistachios and almond flavoring (in either the form of an extract or essence).
The base for this pistachio cake recipe is my very popular vanilla cake recipe. It has the most amazing velvety texture, so knew it would be perfect for this recipe! I then amended it by adding in crushed pistachios and some almond flavoring.
For the buttercream frosting, I tried two versions – one with cream cheese and one without. The cream cheese version definitely added another level of flavor and creaminess to the final cake, so it was a no brainer to go with the cream cheese version!
Many pistachio cake recipes pair pistachio cake with a simple vanilla buttercream, so you could totally use my silky smooth buttercream recipe or Swiss meringue buttercream too.
What flavors pair well with pistachio cake?
Pistachios have a unique flavor profile that blends nuttiness with a hint of sweetness and a touch of earthiness. When considering flavors that pair well with pistachios, or in particular a pistachio cake (although I do feel this cake goes just perfect on it’s own!), it’s important to complement rather than overpower their delicate taste.
Some condiments or sides to consider could include citrus options (like my lemon curd recipe), simple flavored ice creams like vanilla, or toppings that have spices in them like cardamom or even saffron. Pistachios go well with chocolate too, so even a little drizzle of dark chocolate ganache would work! It is best to trial these out though, and see what your personal preferences are 🙂
How to make pistachio cake
Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release). If using a fan function (also known as convection mode) then you will need to reduce the temperature to 160C (320F).
Add pistachios to a food processer, and process until they become fine crumbs. You don’t want the pistachios to be too fine (like a powder), but you don’t want large chuncks either. Process them until they’re a bread crumb consistency with a few small chunks in them (see video for visual). Once done, set aside for now.
In a bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add in butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine), cream together for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
Add in vanilla, vinegar and half of the total quantity of buttermilk, and mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
Add half of your flour mixture to your wet ingredients, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining buttermilk, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
Finish off by adding in the crushed pistachios, and a few scant drops of green coloring (if using gel colours then use less – you only want a pastel green color), and fold with a spatula until just combined. Add more coloring if needed, but try not to overmix the batter.
Pour the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
Once baked, allow the cake layers to cool in the cake pans for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting with the pistachio cream cheese recipe below.
Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer if using one), add in butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract/essence, almond extract/essence and cream.
Mix on a low speed until the ingredients are combined (about a minute), and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix for a full 10 minutes. You want to scrape down the bowl half way through just to make sure everything is mixed well. If using a stand mixer then use the paddle attachment.
Once finished, add in the cream cheese and crushed pistachios and mix until well combined. Avoid overmixing. Finish off by adding in a few scant drops of green food coloring (if using gel colours then use less – you only want a pastel green color).
The frosting should be silky smooth and it’s now ready to use!
If you find that your frosting is a bit firm and has a lot of air bubbles, then it means that either the butter or cream during the initial 10 minutes of mixing was too cold. To fix this, gently heat the buttercream in the microwave for 5 second bursts (don’t heat it for too long otherwise the buttercream will melt), mixing in between each burst until the frosting is softer in consistency and you can easily mix it, and then re-whip it for a few minutes. If your frosting is too soft, simply pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes, and then re-whip it.
How to decorate pistachio cake
There are so many wonderful ways you could decorate a pistachio cake, but here is how I decorated mine 🙂
So to start off I levelled off the tops of my cake layers so that they were nice and flat. This helps prevent your cake layers from sliding around once you come to stacking your cake.
I also trimmed off the caramelised edges of the cake layers. This step isn’t necessary though – I just wanted the perfect thumbnail (haha!), so you can skip it if you want 🙂
I then went ahead and placed my first cake layer in the middle of a cake stand and smoothed out some frosting on the top with my offset spatula.
I then placed the next cake layer on top, and again smoothed out some frosting on top and sides of the cake, so that the cake was completely covered. I didn’t bother doing a crumb coat (check out this video for more info on what a crumb coat is), but you can do one if you prefer. I then used my cake scraper to smooth out the sides.
Now when you scrape the sides of a cake, you usually end up with a lip of frosting around the top edges. To get rid of these and get a ‘sharp edge’ on the top, slowly bring your offset spatula into the middle of the cake, catching that lip of frosting as you go.
I then finished off by doing some piping around the top edges using a 1A piping tip.
And that’s it! The cake is now ready to serve. Enjoy!
How to Store Pistachio Cake
This cake can be left at room temperature for the day, however overnight it will need to be refrigerated due to the cream cheese in the frosting. The fat and sugar in the frosting will prevent the cream cheese from going off, which is why you can keep it out at room temperature for an extended period of time.
When storing, place it into an airtight container, and into the refrigerator. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Moist Pistachio Cake Recipe
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Pistachio Cake
- 1¼ cups (175 g) pistachios - raw, unsalted
- 2⅓ cups (300 g) flour - regular all purpose (see note 1 if you want to use cake flour)
- ¼ cup (25 g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ½ cup (105 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola
- 1⅔ cups (332 g) white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract/essence
- ½ tsp almond extract/essence
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1½ cups (336 g) buttermilk - room temperature, see note 5 if using a homemade buttermilk substitute
- Few drops green food coloring (optional) - gel and liquid are both fine as you only use a small amount
Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing sugar/confectioners sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract/essence
- ½ tsp almond extract/essence
- ½ cup (120 g) whipping or heavy cream - room temperature
- ½ cup (112 g) cream cheese - cold, use a firm cream cheese (not a spreadable one)
- ½ cup (70 g) pistachios - unsalted, processed into fine crumbs
- Few drops green food coloring (optional) - gel and liquid are both fine as you only use a small amount
Instructions
- IMPORTANT: For this recipe I would highly recommend using gram measurements, especially for the flour for accurate results. It has a high fat/liquid ratio so slight adjustments to the quantities can throw off the balance of the cake 🙂
Pistachio Cake
- Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) (see note 4 if using a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
- Add your pistachios to a food processer, and process until they become fine crumbs (see note 6). Once done, set aside for now.
- In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- In another bowl, add in butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - see note 2), cream together for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
- Add in your vanilla, almond essence/extract, vinegar and half of the buttermilk, and mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
- Add half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining buttermilk, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3).
- Finish off by adding in the crushed pistachios, and a few scant drops of green coloring (if using gel colours then use less - you only want a pastel green color), and fold with a spatula until just combined. Add more coloring if needed, but try not to overmix the batter.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Once baked, allow the cake layers to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting with the pistachio cream cheese recipe below.
Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer if using one), add in butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract/essence, almond extract/essence and cream.
- Mix on the lowest speed until the ingredients are combined (about a minute), and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix for a full 10 minutes, scraping down the bowl half way through. If using a stand mixer then use the paddle attachment.
- Once finished, add in the cream cheese and crushed pistachios and mix until well combined. Avoid overmixing. Finish off by adding in a few scant drops of green food coloring (if using gel colours then use less - you only want a pastel green color).
- The frosting should be silky smooth and it's now ready to use! See note 7 if your frosting isn't fluffy and smooth. For decorating ideas, check out the recipe video or blog post above 🙂
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
156 Comments
Hi!MK..
All your cakes look superb,i made the vanilla eggless cake,came out beautifully..😀
I woukd like to attempt the Pistachio cake next,would like to make it for my Mum,who doesn’t eat eggs,posdible to make this cake eggless?
Hi Kanan! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback 😀
I haven’t tried making the pistachio cake eggless myself, but you may be able to turn my eggless vanilla cake recipe into a pistachio cake by adding in crushed pistachios, bit of green gel color and a little almond flavoring. It may turn out better rather than trying to make this recipe eggless as you may not get the same rise/texture with an egg substitute 🙂
Thanks a mil,MK..🙏🏻🙏🏻
Overall a great cake. The frosting is very, very sweet but it complements the slightly savory flavor of the cake itself. My husband loved it. I also had issues with the cake crumbling, so next time I will fold the ingredients in more as was suggested in a previous reply. Despite the crumbling it was most and soft.
Hi Chrys! 🙂 So happy to hear that overall the cake was enjoyed. For the frosting, you can reduce the powdered sugar slightly, but not too much otherwise this will affect the texture of the frosting. It shouldn’t be overly sweet though, so perhaps there was just a bit too much powdered sugar added in? For best results I would recommend using the gram measurements if possible 🙂
Thanks so much for the feedback Chrys and hope the tips above help for next time!
Hi Mary am, I have tried a couple of your recipes and they have all come out lovely tastewise. Have had a couple of structural issues but manged to fix them due to the frosting. I am super excited to try this Pista cake for my husbands 40th. He loves Pistas. However has asked me if I could put a hazelnut chocolate ganache (the coating of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate) instead of the one you used. Just wondering if you have ever made that frosting before and or if it were possible to share a recipe to make that frosting please.
Hi Quinita! 🙂 So so happy to hear you’re loving the recipes 😀
With regards to structural issues, I would recommend allowing the cakes to cool in the cake tins for atleast 20 mins before turning them out and then only handling them gently once they’re completely cool 🙂 you could also try mixing the batter a little bit more at the end (when adding in the dry ingredients) to provide a bit more structure, but just be careful not to overmix 🙂
A hazelnut chocolate ganache sounds incredible! I myself have not made that before but will keep it in mind for future videos as I would love to do a hazelnut cake one day 🙂
Thank you for this amazing recipe Maryam, the best Pistachio cake that I have ever had to be honest. It ticked off all the requirements I ever look for in a cake; soft, light and moist with flavour. I did need to add a bit more milk as the batter looked a bit firm, which could have been to cold temperatures. I love the fact that you are based in NZ and it really does seem to make a difference as it’s all home based for me too. I have tried some of your other recipes too, and they have not disappointed me. Your recipes are wonderful. Thank you:)
So so happy to hear you’re loving the recipes Kav 😀 really appreciate the wonderful feedback and it’s always so lovely meeting another Kiwi 🙂
Hi Maryam, back for an update.
The cake is delicious!
During the dinner, unfortunately I did not take the cake out of the fridge earlier for 5 mins. (Partly because I forgot, and also because of the really warm and humid weather now in Singapore, the cake started to sweat when I was tidying up my frosting skills a bit.) So we ate it a bit too cold and dry. Also we were too full from the dinner itself, so I think that diminished our enjoyment of the cake a bit.
It’s only -after- the family dinner, that we really get to enjoy this lovely cake. Everyday we have slices of it. I let the cake come to room temp for 5 mins, and it is truly amazing. Wow. Suddenly the sponge layers are so soft and moist, we could taste the subtle flavours. Your SMBC recipe is so easy to follow (compared to my first time; followed another recipe) and it isn’t intoxicatingly sweet. Smooth and buttery!
Which is why this update is a few days late: To be fair to you and eat the cake as intended, it is indeed 5 stars.
My tip to others making this cake:
1) Definitely bring the cake out to room temp for even 5 minutes! I know it’s summer now for many places so if you were like me and used SMBC instead of cream cheese, I think it won’t sweat in 5 mins. Or take the cake out cold, slice it, and then let the cake slices come to room temp for 5 mins. It makes all the difference from cold dry cake to soft and moist in those 5 mins.
2) Take the effort to level your cake tops and trim off the sides!! I didn’t because the cake layers came out so even so I thought there was no need, but now that we are slowly savouring this cake, we realised that the caramelised edges of the cake (on the top and the sides) aren’t as soft as the middle of the cake of course. It’s like that little thing that kinda takes the shine off a bit. So take the effort!
I am now seriously considering your moist red velvet cake for my birthday celebration :).
Thanks Maryam!
Hi Steffi! 🙂 Thank you so much for the detailed feedback and so so happy to hear you all loved the recipe 😀
Yes, it is best to let the cake come to room temp otherwise it will be quite firm due to the butter becoming hard in the fridge 🙂 I’m so happy you were able to try it at room temp and found it soft and moist 😀
Also agree that if the edges are a little extra firm/tough when baked, it’s best to trim them off – I do this for recipes where the edges are a bit more caramelised 🙂 you could also try reducing the oven temp slightly and baking for a little longer if you feel you’re consistently getting over caramelised edges.
Again, thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it went Steffi 😀 hope you enjoy the red velvet cake just as much 😀
Hi! Can we use Milk instead of buttermilk? Also, can we leave the cornstarch out?
Hi Vic! 🙂 Unfortunately buttermilk is required for this recipe as milk is very thin and will cause the batter to become too loose. Buttermilk also has a bit of acid in it which helps to achieve a super soft cake. Cornstarch is also required for a soft texture, though you can substitute it with all purpose flour if you prefer (the cake will just be a little less soft but still great!). Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Maryam, just wanted to say, I’ve been watching your youtube videos for a while, but today is the first time I’ve attempted your recipe. I decided to make this pistachio cake for my husband’s birthday celebration tomorrow. Instead of your recommended cream cheese frosting (which I will probably love!), I followed your SMBC recipe and mixed in ground pistachio meal + some pistachio paste, because husband prefers subtle flavours like pistachio to shine through.
I’ve been baking for quite some time, and you’ve definitely taught me something new: a cake that uses both butter and oil for the creaming process, and then buttermilk too! I had to check your video demo a few times because this kind of cake mixture is something I’m not familiar with, but then at other times, I found myself nodding and going, “wow this cake batter looks really good”. I’m nervous because I rarely make layered cakes, and this is my second time ever making SMBC. I guess we will know how the cake tastes like tomorrow! Really excited.
So I will try to remember to provide an update on the cake tomorrow. But for now, thank you for sharing this recipe. The cakes came out smelling so so good.
Hi Steffi! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing your experience and so happy to hear that you’re excited about how everything has come along so far 😀
Yes most of my recipes have a combination of butter and oil – it makes for the most moist cakes (in my opinion)!
Hope you all enjoy the cake Steffi 🙂
Hi, I tried the recipe thrice and I loved the taste of the cake, but it was a bit crumbly when I cut it.
Any tips to make it hold together better?
And by the way you are such a good teacher, love all your videos.
Hi Naheedah! 🙂 So happy to hear you loved the taste of the cake but so sorry to hear it appears to be a bit crumbly! To ensure the cake holds together a bit better, you can try folding in the ingredients at the end a little more to develop more of the gluten in the batter (which helps the cake hold together). You also want to make sure you’re using large eggs and I would also recommend using the gram measurements (if you didn’t already) for best results. Hope that helps for next time 🙂
Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe to us
I have tried to make today
The texture of the. cake is so good , soft and moist ☺️
It’s delicious
What type of pistachio do you use
As mine is not as green as yours😂
And may I ask what is the purpose of using vinegar
As I do not have vinegar this time and skip it this time.
Thank you :))
Hi Monki! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe 😀
With the cake, did you use any extra green gel color? This is how I get the green color otherwise the cake will be a more dull green/grey color 🙂
Vinegar helps to achieve a soft a tender cake. I have done an article on this where you can read more about it: https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/why-is-vinegar-used-in-baking/
Hope that helps Monki 🙂
Hello i was wondering if there are any substitutes for cornstarch? Would corn flour work?
Hi Sarah! 🙂 If you mean cornflour as in the white powder used to thicken soups etc., then yes that will work! If you’re based in NZ/AUS/UK, then cornflour is the cornstarch I refer to in this recipe 🙂
If you mean the yellow powder which is sometimes called cornmeal, then I don’t think this would work as a good substitute. Hope that helps 🙂