Pistachio Cake
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This pistachio cake recipe is fluffy, moist and made in a sheet pan. Topped with a cream cheese frosting, it’s quick and easy to decorate. Full of pistachio flavor with no instant pudding needed! This is the best pistachio cake and it’s bound to become a family favorite.
Over the years if there’s one flavor I’ve really gotten into baking it’s definitely pistachio. It’s one of my husband’s favorite flavors so I have been on a mission to bake more pistachio desserts over the years. Like these pistachio raspberry thumbprint cookies, this pistachio bread or this no bake pistachio cheesecake.
And so I knew one of the next desserts I had to make was a pistachio cake. This cake is made with real pistachios, and for the ultimate pistachio flavor I used almond extract. Almond extract is the secret to giving the pistachio flavor in the cake a boost.
I baked this cake in a 9×13 baking pan for ease, but you could easily bake this cake into a layer cake if you want. But I just love the ease of a sheet cake! The cake batter starts with my white cake recipe and uses ground pistachios in the dry ingredients.ย
Once it’s baked and cooled I frosted with my favorite cream cheese frosting. This homemade pistachio cake is a good reason to break out your sheet pan and get baking!
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
- No pudding mix needed! Many pistachio cakes use an instant pistachio pudding mix but this cake is made with real pistachios for a true nutty flavor.
- Great make ahead dessert. You can make this cake the day before and frost before serving.
- Wonderful for the holidays. Make this during Christmas or St. Patrick’s day for the pistachio lover in your life.
Ingredients Needed
- Cake flour – Cake flour has a lower protein content than regular all-purpose flour so it yields a tender, light cake. Read my full tutorial on how to make cake flour.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Pistachios – I used roasted, salted pistachios but unsalted pistachios also work. I used my food processor to grind pistachios to a fine texture.
- Butter – I used unsalted butter that was softened to room temperature. If you use salted butter, reduce the salt.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg whites – Use room temperature egg whites so they blend easily into the cake batter. Separate your eggs while cold (they will separate easier) and then let them come to room temperature. Here is my full tutorial on how to separate eggs.
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Sour cream – I used full-fat sour cream. Make sure it’s at room temperature.
- Milk – I used whole milk. Make sure it’s at room temperature
- Cream cheese – Use softened cream cheese. I recommend full fat, block style cream cheese for the best texture. Read my full tutorial on how to bring cream cheese to room temperature fast.
- Powdered sugarย – If you don’t have any make your own homemade powdered sugar.
How To Make Pistachio Cake
Make the cake:
Prep oven and pans. Position rack in the center oven. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/177ยฐC). Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray (or you can line with parchment paper).
Combine dry ingredients. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add salt and ground pistachios and whisk together. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. In a stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment, (or you can use your hand mixer) cream butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing. The mixture should be pale yellow.
Add extracts and eggs. With mixer on low speed, add in the vanilla and almond extract. With the mixer running, slowly add in the egg whites mixing to combine. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Alternate the dry ingredients and sourcream/milk. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and sour cream. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk/sourcream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed between additions until incorporated.
Bake cakes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until cake is firm and springs back when gently touched in the center and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in the pan completely on a wire cooling rack before turning out of the pan. Once completely cooled, assemble and frost.
Make the frosting:
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and combined, on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Gradually beat in the confectionersโ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.
Mix in the vanilla extract. Add in a pinch of salt.
Frost the cake:
Once the cake is completely cooled, use an offset spatula and frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting into an even layer. I like to decorate with additional crushed pistachios!
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I like to let soften at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t blend pistachios too long. If you’re grinding the pistachios down, don’t do it too much or you will end up with pistachio butter!
- You want your eggs to be room temperature before you begin. If you add cold eggs to the creamed butter mixture it will cause your butter to seize up and create a broken or curdled-looking batter. I place my eggs in a bowl of warm water (not hot water!) for 10 minutes before I use them. Just wipe them clean before cracking.
- Make sure you are measuring your flour correctly. Too much flour could result in a dry cake. Measuring with a scale is best but if measuring using cups, then be sure to spoon the flour into your cup and then level it off. Do not scoop directly from the bag or pack it down into the cup, which could yield 25% more flour than intended.
- Line or grease the pan well. This will help with the cake releasing so you can cut into individual slices easily. I like to line with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different frosting – You can always use a chocolate frosting, swiss meringue buttercream, or regular vanilla frosting. You could also pair with my lemon frosting. Pistachio and lemon go wonderfully together!
- Bake in a different pan – You can bake this into a two layer cake or a bundt pan instead. Baking times will vary. For a layer cake, divide the batter between two cake pans (9-inch or 8-inch). Cake layers will take about 25-30 minutes. A bundt cake recipe will take about 50-60 minutes. Or you can bake as cupcakes. Cupcakes will make about 24 cupcakes and bake for 18-22 minutes.
- Add lemon zest – You could always add a couple teaspoons lemon zest to the cake batter if you want for a fun flavor twist. Or try adding a different zest, like orange zest!
- Decorate with fresh berries for an easy, pretty presentation. Raspberries go great with pistachios!
- Green food coloringย – Optional to give the cake more of a bright green color. You only need a couple drops of green food coloring.
Storage Instructions
You can make this pistachio sheet cake the day before. Let the cake cool completely then cover well in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. Then the day of you, make the cream cheese frosting and spread over the cake.
I recommend storing the cake, covered in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 4 days because of the frosting. Or store at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing any cake leftovers. I like to cut the cake into slices. Then wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in a plastic bag. You can thaw overnight, or more quickly at room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure to test with a toothpick in the center of the cake. The toothpick should have a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. I also touch the top of the cake. The cake should spring back when touched.
You can use unsalted, raw pistachios or roasted salted pistachios. I recommend buying them shelled to save time. And grind them down to a fine texture so you don’t get chunks of pistachios in the cake batter. Just be careful and do not grind down to a pistachio paste.ย
More Recipes To Try
If you’re craving more cake, be sure to try my Chantilly cake (it’s better than Whole Foods!). Made with fresh berries and a mascarpone frosting, it’s to die for!
I also love making a good bundt cake, like my Sock It To Me cake, strawberry pound cake, or peach cobbler pound cake. All are great cakes to make in the summer time!
Pistachio Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups (345 g) cake flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (145 g) roasted, salted pistachios (finely ground)
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large (160 g, 2/3 cup) egg whites room temperature
- ยพ cup (180 g) sour cream room temperature
- ยพ cup (170 g) milk room temperature
For the frosting:
- 8 Tablespoons (113 grams, 1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 8 ounces (227 g) full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 4 cups (454 g) powdered sugar
- โ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Prep oven and pans. Position rack in the center oven. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/177ยฐC). Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray (or you can line with parchment paper).
- Combine dry ingredients. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add salt ground pistachios and whisk together. Set aside. 3 cups (345 g) cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ยฝ teaspoon baking soda ยฝ teaspoon salt 1 cup (145 g) roasted, salted pistachios
- Cream butter and sugar. In a stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment, (or you can use your hand mixer) cream butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing. The mixture should be pale yellow. 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- Add extracts and eggs. With mixer on low speed, add in the vanilla and almond extract. With the mixer running, slowly add in the egg whites mixing to combine. Scrape down the bowl as needed. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 5 large (160 g, 2/3 cup) egg whites
- Alternate the dry ingredients and sourcream/milk. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and sour cream. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk/sourcream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed between additions until incorporated. ยพ cup (180 g) sour cream ยพ cup (170 g) milk
- Bake cakes. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes until cake is firm and springs back when gently touched in the center and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in the pan completely on a wire cooling rack before turning out of the pan. Once completely cooled, assemble and frost.
Make the frosting:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and combined, on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. 8 Tablespoons (113 grams, 1 stick) unsalted butter 8 ounces (227 g) full fat cream cheese
- Gradually beat in the confectionersโ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. 4 cups (454 g) powdered sugar
- Mix in the vanilla extract. Add in salt. โ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frost the cake:
- Once the cake is completely cooled, use an offset spatula and frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting into an even layer. I like to decorate with additional crushed pistachios!
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I like to let soften at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Storage: Store the cake covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Cupcakes: I havenโt tested as cupcakes, but this recipe should make 24 cupcakes. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and fill about โ full. Bake for 18-25 minutes at 350oF.
- Layer cake: I havenโt tested as a layer cake, but you can also divide the batter into two 9-inch cakes pans. Bake for 22-26 minutes.
- Freezing: Freeze any leftover cake slices up to 3 months. Wrap cake slices well. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Frosting: I found this frosting was perfect for a sheet cake (and would also work for a 2 layer cake). If you are making a 3 layer cake, I would recommend making an extra 1/2 to full batch of frosting. You can freeze any leftover frosting for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and re-whip before using.
It was a super good recipe and turned out just like I thought it would. I added lemon zest and a little lemon juice to the frosting, and that made it amazing. I served it with raspberry ice cream as well and loved the whole thing. I would recommend this recipe!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Adding lemon zest and juice to the frosting sounds incredible, and pairing it with raspberry ice cream is such a creative idea. I’m so glad you loved the recipe โ I appreciate the recommendation!