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    Home » Desserts » Cake

    Pistachio Cake

    August 31, 2023 By Sam 35 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    collage of pistachio cake, top image of single slice on white plate, bottom image of full cake photographed from above.

    My pistachio cake is made WITHOUT any pudding mixes or emulsions! Instead, we’ll combine pistachios, almond extract, and browned butter (my secret ingredient) to create an incredible flavor and crumb. Recipe includes a how-to video!

    Cross section of a pistachio cake made with three layers of green cake and a swiss meringue buttercream frosting.

    Pistachio Cake From Scratch

    It took a lot of trial and error to get the flavor of this pistachio cake just right. Since I didn’t want to use pudding mix or emulsions (which can be expensive, hard to find, and inconsistent), it was important for me to create an authentic flavor in a simple, attainable way.

    The solution? Brown butter!

    Just like in my butter pecan cake, brown butter adds a nutty, well rounded, deep flavor to this cake. When paired with the bright flavor of almond extract and plenty of chopped pistachios, we truly perfectly nail the pistachio flavor. It’s incredible!

    Slice of pale green layer cake made with pistachios on a white plate with one bite missing.

    Why you’ll love my recipe:

    • Uses the reverse creaming method, which yields a plush crumb AND avoids the risk of over-mixing the cake. This cake truly melts in your mouth!
    • Made entirely from scratch with no artificial flavors, emulsions, or boxed mixes of any kind.
    • Pairs well with many frostings (suggestions below!), but I especially love it with my swiss meringue buttercream.

    This is nothing like those bright green, pudding-filled pistachio cake you’ve made in the past–it’s remarkably better!

    What You Need

    My pistachio cake recipe uses mostly basic ingredients, but there are a few wildcards. You will need:

    Overhead view of ingredients including buttermilk, pistachios, almond extract, and more.
    • Buttermilk. Buttermilk is key for flavor, tenderness, and moisture in this pistachio cake recipe. Yours should be at room temperature when you add it for easy combining (and on that note, you should be using room temperature eggs too!).
    • Brown butter. If you haven’t made brown butter before, don’t panic! I go over this in my video below and also have an entire post on how to brown butter if you need even more pointers. Make sure your butter cools down completely before adding it to the recipe; it doesn’t have to be solidified, but it shouldn’t be at all warm.
    • Almond extract. While we are using a small amount of vanilla extract, we will add even more almond extract to really bring out the pistachio flavor.
    • Pistachios. Use salted, dry roasted pistachios and finely chop them (I like to use a mini food processor for this). If you can’t find salted pistachios, use unsalted pistachios and increase the salt in the recipe to 1 teaspoon.
    • Food coloring. Food coloring is obviously optional, but if you want your pistachio cake to have a greenish hue, you will need to add it. I talk more about the brand and colors I like to use in the recipe notes below.

    SAM’S TIP: Do NOT over-bake this cake! While the crumb is soft and tender, the crumb will appear a bit more crumbly due to the finely chopped pistachios (just like my butter pecan cake). If baked properly, it won’t be; however, if the cake is over-baked, it will actually be dry.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Pistachio Cake

    Four photos showing cake batter being prepared with brown butter and salted pistachios.
    1. Brown the butter – melt the butter over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until brown bits form in the pan. Pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl and let cool completely before proceeding.
    2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then gradually stir in the cooled brown butter until incorporated. The mixture will be dough-like at this stage; this is normal!
    3. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl (or large measuring cup), then gradually stir them into the butter/flour mixture until the batter is uniform.
    4. Fold in the pistachios until evenly distributed.
    Four photos showing cake batter being portioned into pans, baked, and stacked with frosting.
    1. Add food coloring, if desired, and stir to combine.
    2. Evenly portion the batter into three greased, floured, and parchment lined pans. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remember, do not over-bake!
    3. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely.
    4. Level the cakes if needed, then decorate with icing. I have a post on how to decorate a cake if you want to hone your decorating skills!

    SAM’S TIP: Most ovens bake unevenly, so test each cake individually if you are baking all three at the same time. If you can only fit two layers on the center rack of your oven at the same time, just let the one sit on the counter while the others bake.

    Overhead view of a cake decorated with a border of chopped pistachios around half of the cake.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

    Cake flour makes for a soft, tight crumb here that works perfectly with the chopped nuts. Cake flour is my recommendation, but in a pinch all-purpose flour can be substituted, just be sure to substitute properly and note the texture will not be as soft or plush.

    What flavors go with pistachio?

    Chocolate, raspberry, almond, cherry, citrus, apricot, honey, cardamom, and rose are just a few flavors that pair well with pistachio. If you’re looking to spice up this cake, try adding my raspberry cake filling or pastry cream between the layers, or swap the icing with white chocolate buttercream or whipped cream frosting. A chocolate ganache drip and garnish of dried rose petals or fruit would also be lovely here!

    Can you freeze pistachio cake?

    Yes you can. Just make sure to wrap it tightly before freezing in an airtight container or freezer-safe ziploc bag. This cake will keep for several months in the freezer.

    Slices of pistachio cake on white plates.

    I seriously LOVE this pistachio cake recipe, and I’m so excited to hear how you like it!

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    Cross section of a pistachio cake made with three layers of green cake and a swiss meringue buttercream frosting.

    Pistachio Cake

    My pistachio cake is made WITHOUT any pudding mixes or emulsions! Instead, we'll combine pistachios, almond extract, and browned butter to create an incredible flavor and crumb.
    Recipe includes a how-to video!
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 465kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
    • 3 cups (339 g) cake flour
    • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cups (354 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
    • 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¾ teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 cup (145 g) dry roasted salted pistachios finely chopped
    • Green food coloring optional (see note)
    • 1 batch Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    Recommended Equipment

    • Baking sheet
    • Mixing bowls
    • 3 8” cake pans
    • Cake leveler
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Brown the Butter

    • Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat.
      1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
    • Decrease heat to medium-low and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until brown bits form on the bottom of the pan (butter will sizzle, foam, and pop then this will slow before it browns). Pour into a heatproof bowl and allow to cool until no longer warm to the touch before proceeding.

    Make the Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease 3 8” (20cm) round baking pans with baking spray. Line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper to ensure the cakes won’t stick.
    • In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), whisk together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
      3 cups (339 g) cake flour, 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
    • Add (cooled) browned butter and use an electric mixer to stir on low-speed until thoroughly incorporated.
    • In a separate, medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and extracts until well-combined.
      1 ½ cups (354 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred, 2 large eggs room temperature preferred, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon almond extract
    • With mixer on low-speed, gradually drizzle the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the batter is uniform (it’s alright if you notice small lumps in the batter).
    • Add pistachios and use a spatula to stir until well incorporated.
      1 cup (145 g) dry roasted salted pistachios
    • Add drops of food coloring, if desired. Stir until uniform in color.
      Green food coloring
    • Evenly divide batter into prepared pans and bake in the center rack of 350F (175C) oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
    • Allow cakes to cool in their pans for 15 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan then carefully invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Cakes must be completely cooled before decorating.

    Assembly

    • Level cakes if needed (I linked to my favorite cake leveler in the “Equipment” section above) and decorate with frosting. I did a smooth, semi-naked covering for the sides of the cake with thicker frosting in between layers and on top of the cake, but you can completely cover the entire cake with a single batch of Swiss meringue buttercream. If desired, top cake with additional chopped pistachios.
      1 batch Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    Notes

    Pistachios

    Pistachios can be measured before or after chopping. If you cannot find salted pistachios, increase salt in the recipe to 1 teaspoon.

    Food Coloring

    Optional, cake will not be green without food coloring. I prefer to use Americolor gel food coloring. I use a small drop each of “Mint” and “Avocado” though either one would work fine. A little goes a long way, pistachio should be a pale green.

    Frosting

    Swiss Meringue Buttercream is my preference. Other options include marshmallow frosting, cream cheese frosting, white chocolate buttercream, or really any buttercream from my frosting library.

    Storing

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Holly

      March 15, 2024 at 9:59 pm

      5 stars
      This turned out FANTASTIC for me. I made a double batch and did both a cake and cupcakes and layered raspberry filling on the cake and filled the cupcakes with it. I also did a pistachio buttercream on top and everything was beautiful! Everybody was so impressed. 😌

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 18, 2024 at 12:06 pm

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Holly! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Patti

      March 04, 2024 at 4:19 pm

      Hi Sam! I love your recipes and always appreciate your explaining how and why things work. I made your lemon blueberry cake for my daughter’s wedding last summer. Big hit. Thank you! I’m making your pistachio cake for a special occasion this weekend and wondering if you can advise on how and if I can add pistachio butter to the recipe for flavor and color. I purchased a jar of raw pistachio butter from Wilderness Poets. What do you think? Can I sub some of this butter if I reduce the brown butter? Also, I’m making the brown butter ahead to store in the fridge, so I’m assuming it will be in solid form when I use it. Should I melt and stir it before using it? I assume it has to be room temp. Thank you so much! Patti

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 05, 2024 at 3:23 pm

        Hi Patti! I haven’t tried adding in pistachio butter so I don’t know how that would work. For the brown butter you will want it to be room temperature. It doesn’t necessarily have to be melted but you want it to be pretty soft so you can easily combine it. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Leslie

      March 01, 2024 at 11:11 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I made this for our pizza night this Friday and it was so so so good! I followed your recipe exactly and it came out moist and absolutely perfect. I did the white chocolate buttercream frosting and it was a great pairing. Thank You!

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 03, 2024 at 8:51 pm

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Leslie!

        Reply
    4. Molly

      January 13, 2024 at 5:33 pm

      I love pistachio.
      Wondering… no pistachio extract in the cake for more pistachio flavor?

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 14, 2024 at 9:58 pm

        Hi Molly! I actually was intentional about not using it because it is expensive and not readily available near me. I wanted to recreate the flavor without using the extract and I think I was pretty successful. 🙂

        Reply
        • Molly

          January 14, 2024 at 10:59 pm

          Thanks Sam.
          I cannot wait to try this recipe. I try something new almost every weekend.
          Your videos, photos of the different steps, and extra tips are VERY helpful, especially for someone like me who just started baking a year ago.
          But, I’m in Colorado and learning that “high altitude baking” is a real thing, haha.
          Is there any way you can put some high altitude tips in the recipes? I follow online tips, but they aren’t specific to certain recipes. They’re just generic and don’t always help much.
          If so, thanks!!
          I appreciate it.

        • Sam

          January 16, 2024 at 8:58 pm

          Hi Molly! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed everything so much! Unfortunately, I am not familiar with high altitude baking so I wouldn’t be able to provide exact instructions without having tried it first. 🙁

    5. Carmen

      December 17, 2023 at 12:08 pm

      I found this cake to dense and would have liked something a little lighter and fluffier. The flavour was great but as I said, it was just too dense.

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 17, 2023 at 8:58 pm

        Hi Carmen! I’m so sorry to hear this happened! The most likely cause of a dense cake is over-mixing or over-baking. It’s not a super light and fluffy cake, but it shouldn’t be dense. 🙁

        Reply
    6. Kourtney

      November 15, 2023 at 3:52 pm

      I am planning to make a sheet cake version of this cake in a few days for my husband’s birthday – he LOVES pistachios! I used to be quite the baker, but haven’t spent much time baking in recent years – wish me luck! I will report back!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 15, 2023 at 3:58 pm

        Can’t wait to hear how it goes, Kourtney! Thank you for using my recipe! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Mary

      October 15, 2023 at 1:59 am

      5 stars
      This is by far the BEST CAKE ever!! Like a delicacy! Everyone who tried it was so impressed! It tasted as good on day3! THANK YOU so much!
      Can’t believe I almost threw away the batter as it was bit lumpy but I took a chance after I watched the video! So glad I did!
      I used cream cheese frosting to which I added tbs of pistachio butter! Delish 🙏🏼

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 15, 2023 at 9:19 pm

        I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Mary! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Lorley

      September 24, 2023 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      Made this cake today and the family loved it. It was very moist and had great flavor from the extracts and browned butter. The cake baked very evenly with flat tops. I used pistachio pudding whipped cream as the filling to amp up the pistachio flavor. It was a refreshing afternoon snack for our family. Thank you once again.

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 25, 2023 at 6:17 pm

        This is wonderful to hear, Lorley! Thank you so much for trying my recipe, I really appreciate it!

        Reply
    9. Alessandra Loiacono

      September 21, 2023 at 11:55 pm

      Made this cake yesterday for my husband’s birthday, unfortunately it was just ok. I was very excited because he loves pistachios but the cake didn’t taste like pistachios at all. I amped the extracts just because I love them both and I’m glad I did, otherwise I think the cake would have been tasteless. I did your white chocolate frosting and that was another failure, too sweet and it didn’t taste like white chocolate at all. So disappointed.

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 22, 2023 at 11:07 am

        Hi Alessandra! If you upped the extracts that unfortunately may have been the problem, almond extract is very potent and will detract from the other flavors, particularly the browned butter which is important to shine in order to get the proper flavor. I think that must have messed with the flavor. Alternatively, if the cake was baked too long that could also deteriorate the flavor but my guess would be it was the alterations. Did you up the extract in the frosting as well or make any other changes? Happy to help further and I’m disappointed it wasn’t a winner for you!

        Reply
    10. Sarah

      September 06, 2023 at 12:40 am

      Hi Lisa,
      Cake looks delicious! Can’t wait to try the recipe. Is the brown butter basically ghee? Just asking as I already have ghee, ready to use.
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 06, 2023 at 9:18 pm

        Hi Sarah! Since ghee strains out the flavorful fat solids, the flavor might not be quite as strong. I think it will “work” just fine. The flavor will just be a little different. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Kim

      September 04, 2023 at 3:47 pm

      Wowww. You are the first that I’ve seen to add the ingredient amounts under each instruction!!!! That made it sooo much easier Sam ♥️♥️♥️♥️ I’m baking the cake right now, can’t wait to see how it turns out. It will be the first time for my family to try these flavors. We’re all excited

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 05, 2023 at 11:37 am

        I hope you love it, Kim! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Janice

      September 03, 2023 at 6:12 pm

      Made this yesterday for a family gathering today. I refrigerated the cake overnight in airtight container. I believe I followed all directions as listed.

      The cake was underdone at my first check so I cooked it a few minutes longer.

      Frosting turned out fine.

      Cake was dry and tasteless and I have sensitive taste buds. No one cared for it. I will probably pitch the rest.

      I’m so disappointed. It took a lot of time to make. I had such high hopes.

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 06, 2023 at 9:20 pm

        Hi Janice! This is so disappointing to hear! It sounds like it may have potentially been over-baked when it was put bake in the oven. 🙁

        Reply
        • Janice

          September 07, 2023 at 8:40 am

          That’s possible. I would like to see what others have experienced. I didn’t throw it away. I’ve been mixing it with ice cream. Very good.

        • Mark

          December 25, 2023 at 1:04 pm

          Hi Sam
          I don’t post on any sites, but I felt obligated to share my experience with your recipes. I bake weekly and have made recipes from more famous sites and more well known people with hit or miss results. Since I started with your recipes, my experience has drastically changed for the better. Every recipe is either really good or great. My family is very picky and we have high standards:) This past week they made a comment to the sound of.. “just make things from Sam and stop trying others, her recipes are always a hit”. It’s true. You have amazing taste and phenomenal delivery that’s a pleasure to watch. Much continued success!
          Mark

        • Sam

          December 30, 2023 at 10:00 pm

          Thank you so much, Mark! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed everything so much! 🙂

    13. Tina

      September 02, 2023 at 12:03 am

      Hi Sam, this recipe looks amazing! Can I ask what 1 cup all-purpose flour in grams is? I’m going to try make my own cake flour. Sadly England do not have any. But will it taste ok if using homemade cake flour? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 02, 2023 at 9:47 pm

        Hi Tina! All purpose flour will work here. You would want to use the same weight. 1 cup of all purpose flour is 125g. I’m not sure how homemade cake flour will work here. I just haven’t experimented with it to know for sure.

        Reply
        • Tina

          September 03, 2023 at 4:29 pm

          Oh do I use 333g of all-purpose flour? But doesn’t 3 cups weigh 375 grams? Will that affect the texture of the cake?

        • Sam

          September 05, 2023 at 12:48 pm

          So this should actually be 339g of cake flour. Cake flour is a little bit lighter than all purpose flour. All purpose flour weighs 125g/cup, and cake flour is 113g per cup. so for the substitute I would use the 339g measurement of your homemade cake flour. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂

    14. Lisa

      September 01, 2023 at 7:15 pm

      Could this recipe be used for cupcakes? I would like to put some of your raspberry jam inside.

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 02, 2023 at 9:51 pm

        Hi Lisa! It should work just fine as cupcakes. 🙂

        Reply

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