Made from scratch with real pistachio and almond flavors, this rustic-chic layered pistachio cake is full of flavor, and enhanced with silky cream cheese frosting. Garnish with fresh berries, pistachios, and flowers for a truly remarkable dessert that’s perfect for spring.
The pink flowers pictured on the finished cake are called kalanchoe.
As nut flavors go, pistachio is one of the most subtle. In fact, did you know that pistachio ice cream gets most of its flavor from almond extract? The almond extract works to enhance the pistachio flavor, and I’m using this concept in today’s cake. I’m often asked how to change my pistachio cupcakes into a layer cake, so this is the perfect opportunity to show off those delicately nutty flavors again.
Tell Me About This Pistachio Cake
- Texture: The combination of real pistachios + almond extract results in a soft, buttery pistachio cake. Cake flour and egg whites keep the texture light and delicate.
- Flavor: This pistachio cake is made without any artificial flavors. The natural flavors of pistachio, almond, butter, and vanilla really shine through in each bite.
- Ease: This pistachio cake with cream cheese frosting is “nearly naked,” so no expert-level cake decorating skills are required. It looks gorgeous garnished simply with fresh berries, crushed pistachios, and some flowers, if you’re feeling extra springy.
One reader, Kathy, says: “Absolutely divine!!! Made this for my daughter’s bday and everyone loved it. The ground pistachios gave it a perfect light green tint. The texture was great-light cake with some bite from the pistachios. Not too sweet, either, which I prefer. This is a GREAT RECIPE.”
The full recipe is below, but first I’m going to share some of the main things I’ve learned while testing this recipe.
How to Get Real Pistachio Flavor Into Cake
We’ll grind shelled pistachios and then mix the pistachio crumbs into the cake batter for the best quality, real pistachio flavor. I know what you’re thinking: chunks of hard nuts in a cake? Don’t worry! The pistachios are ground into a soft and creamy crumb, which adds pure pistachio flavor without a chunky texture. I recommend using a food processor for this step. Just be careful not to overdo it and make pistachio butter!
The cake batter may resemble spicy brown mustard, but it smells fantastic. The ground pistachios tint the cake a light spring green. I also add a drop of green food coloring to deepen the color, but that’s completely optional.
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
I used my favorite white cake recipe as a starting point for this cake.
- Pistachios: Instead of using artificial pistachio flavor, grind shelled pistachios to add to the cake batter. I usually use unsalted raw pistachios for this cake recipe, but you can use raw or roasted pistachios, salted or unsalted, whichever you prefer. I recommend buying them already shelled, to save time.
- Almond + vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla and almond extracts for truly outstanding flavor. Almond extract enhances the pistachio flavor, so don’t leave it out.
- Cake flour: Cake flour is almost 30 times finer than all-purpose flour and provides the structure for this pistachio cake. We use slightly less cake flour in this recipe than in a white cake because of the pistachio crumbs, but the result is equally delicate and delicious.
- Egg whites: Using only egg whites ensures a light crumb that isn’t weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. Lighter confections such as marshmallows and angel food cake require only egg whites. Same rule applies here.
What Frosting Goes Well With Pistachio Cake?
I like pairing this sweet and nutty cake with smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting (scaled up to cover the cake!). But there’s no shortage of delicious options that would complement this cake! You could easily replace the cream cheese frosting with:
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Salted Caramel Frosting
- Strawberry Buttercream
- Lemon Buttercream
- Chocolate Buttercream
You could also use this pistachio cake recipe as the base for my fresh berry cream cake!
Decorating Inspiration
To frost and decorate this pistachio cake, I use a good amount of frosting inside and on top of the cake, and minimal frosting around the sides. This frosting style is called a naked cake, which exposes the gorgeous cake layers and reveals the deliciousness to come!
- For smooth sides, use a bench scraper (you can follow this vanilla naked cake video for a little guidance). I also recommend a cake turntable to make cake decorating even easier. Or simply just swipe the frosting on—this pistachio cake is so delicious no one will care what it looks like! I have a detailed post on how to assemble and decorate a layer cake, which would also be a helpful guide!
More Baking Recipes You Will Love!
- Pistachio Shortbread
- White Cake
- Pistachio Cupcakes
- Lemon Pistachio Loaf
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Coconut Cake
Pistachio Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make this pistachio cake with real pistachio and almond extract flavors. This “naked cake” is finished with silky cream cheese frosting. Read the recipe notes before beginning. The pink flowers pictured on the finished cake are called kalanchoe.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups (260g) unsalted pistachios (out of shells)
- 2 and 1/3 cups (275g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
- optional: 1 tiny drop green food coloring*
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, to taste
- optional: garnishes such as berries and leftover pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until ground up into very fine crumbs. See photo above for a visual.
- Pour 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) of pistachio crumbs in a large bowl. (Reserve the remaining pistachio crumbs for garnish.) Whisk in the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients, then start the mixer on low speed. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the milk (and the green food coloring, if using) and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Divide batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 21–23 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, a little milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. Frosting should be soft, but not runny.
- Assemble and frost: First, using a large serrated knife or cake leveler, layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Place 1 cake layer on your cake turntable, cake stand, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting, and then top with the 3rd layer. Spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Decorate the sides and top of the cake with the remaining pistachios. Refrigerate cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared, then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let it sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Food Processor | 8-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cake Turntable | Straight Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Marble Cake Stand or Serving Platter | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Pistachios: I usually use unsalted raw pistachios. However, the cake is still sweet even if you use salted pistachios. Salted actually adds extra flavor! You can use roasted or raw (not roasted), whichever you prefer.
- Full-Fat Ingredients: Whole milk and full-fat sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cake may not be as light. Same goes with a lower-fat milk.
- Food Coloring: While the pistachio crumbs tint the batter light green, I added 1 *very teeny* drop of green gel food coloring to help brighten the green color. This is completely optional!
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. For more information, read my post about the importance of roo-temperature ingredients.
- 9-Inch Pans: You can divide this batter between two 9-inch cake pans. The bake time is closer to 30 minutes, same oven temperature. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
- 9×13-inch Pan: This batter fits nicely in a 9×13-inch pan. The bake time is closer to 38 minutes, same oven temperature. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
- Bundt Pan: This cake batter will fit in a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, but I’m unsure of the exact bake time. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
- Here are my pistachio cupcakes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I love this sponge, it’s got great depth of flavor and it’s not over powering with pistachio flavor. For my mother’s birthday I made this sponge cake but with my own twist. I did the pistachio sponge with a raspberry white chocolate ganache filling and finished with a pistachio butter cream. Now, this sponge was made 3 times prior to the final cake and everytime I made it the sponge collapsed while baking and was extremely dense and heavy. The first time I cut the recipe in half because I only needed 2 8 inch pans. I followed the recipe exactly as it stated but there wasn’t enough batter and after it baked it was not even an inch thick. Then when I made it the next few times I did the full recipe and I had barely enough to fill 2 8 inch pans and this recipe calls for 3 9 inch pans. The result was the same everytime.. tastes great but collapsed and was extremely dense and moist, almost undercooked. I also left it in there 10 minutes longer one time and it came out the same it just had burnt edges. So… My question is what am I doing wrong? lol. Am I over beating? Over mixing? Not mixing enough? I want to make a cake again for my classmates but I don’t want it to be the same result. Please help! I have pictures as well if you’d like to see. Thank you for the great recipe! I want to do it justice!!
Hi Nick, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. When you mention not having enough batter to fill the pans, were you trying to fill them all the way to the top? If so, that’s likely the main culprit here. You’ll want to evenly distribute the batter among the 3, 9 inch pans. They aren’t especially tall layers, but this gives the batter (and any other cake batter) room to rise and fall. Filling the batter to the top risks overflowing and uneven baking, which sounds like what you may have been experiencing with the burnt edges but undercooked centers. These posts on best cake baking tips and how to prevent dry and dense cakes may also be helpful to review. We hope this helps for the next batch, and thank you so much for giving this recipe a try!
No, barely filled is just half maybe a little more, the cake came out to just about an inch thick when I made the full recipe for 2 8 inch pans. The cake rised a little bit and then it collapsed and the edges shrunk, separating from the pan and becoming burnt. I feel like I’m mixing something up with the batteraking process that is limiting proper rise of the cake. It’s coming out very very dense and almost undercooked.
I was in the process of making a list of the ingredients for the carrot cake I was going to bake for my youngest son’s birthday when this thought came to me “I should make a pistachio cake.” Mind you, I had never baked a pistachio cake, tasted a pistachio cake, or even seen a pistachio cake before. Strange…
I usually look at a few to several different recipes before I settle on which one I’m going to use, and I also usually adapt that recipe in light of the other recipes and my prior experience. But after looking a Sally’s addiction-ready recipe, I dismissed any & all further field work and went straight to ingredient purchase.
I followed the recipe to a T, and boy did it DELIVER! I wish I could upload a photo of it, but what I can do is tell you how delicious it was. IT WAS DEEEEE-lishhh-us.
The good news is that my son took the leftover cake with him back to Birmingham so I didn’t get much (any?) fatter. This cake is so killer, it will call your name in the middle of the night.
The first time I made this cake
It become a family favorite
Everyone loved it
Very delicious authentic cake
Highly recommended
It worth the effort
Super fancy .
I’ve started a birthday tradition with my little one. I’ve made three cakes from Sally’s genius recipes, and all were a hit!
This fourth one was my first miss. I was sure i’d measured my sugar wrong when I bit into it because the cake was waaaaay too sweet. I even made a SMB to avoid a super-sweet cake, but I completely missed the fact that there is more sugar than flour in this recipe. 350g of sugar to 275g flour to be exact.
I didn’t see any reviews commenting on the amount of sugar, but I would ask that you reconsider adding it all in. I feel like cutting the sugar in half would still give you a spectacular cake. The pistachio flavor is amazing, the cake is tender, but the sugar made our cake almost inedible.
What do I do with all my leftovers?
Hi Tima! Sugar is heavier than flour. This cake shouldn’t be super sweet, a similar level to our other cake recipes. Perhaps something was mis-measured? Thank you so much for making our recipes!
Very delicious! I bit dry, so wondering about using buttermilk instead of milk? Oil instead of butter? Just wondering your thoughts 🙂 I may have also over baked.
Hi J Marie, it sounds like the cake is simply over-baked. Even an extra minute or two in the oven can cause a dry cake! An easy fix of next time.
A friend made this cake and we loved it so much, that I’m making it for my dad’s birthday. Do you have any tips on how o can make this as a Bundt cake?
Hi Elise! See recipe Notes for Bundt cake instructions.
I want to make this, but want to make a one layer cake. Could I just cut the ingredients to 1/3 of original recipe?
Hi Margo, that should work just fine. Or, you can make the batter as written, use half for a single cake layer (bake time will be just a bit longer for a thicker layer), and use the remaining batter for cupcakes. Enjoy!
Another delicious and delectable cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction. It was the perfect end to a beautiful birthday dinner with friends. This cake will now become another favorite in my go-to line-up on Sally’s cakes, including Lemon Blueberry, Carrot and Triple Chocolate.
Do not use the cream cheese frosting! I was very disappointed, I wish I used a lighter frosting. Cream cheese was too heavy. 🙁
Fantastic recipe, it was a very moist and delicious cake. Have enjoyed every recipe I’ve tried from your site, so thank you. I do have a question – if I wanted to try a different nut, could I sub one in place of the pistachios, leaving everything else the same? I’d like to try hazelnuts, but curious if this could work? Thank you
Hi Britt, we haven’t tested it, but another reader did report making this cake with hazelnuts and said it worked beautifully. If you try it, please let us know how it tastes!
This was the best cake I’ve ever tried! I made it for my boyfriend’s bday. I had never bake before but your instructions are so clear that I was able to make it work! I made a pistachio brigadeiro (a brazilian traditional dessert) for the first layer of filling, and the cream cheese frosting for the second layer and topping. My mouth waters just by remembering it! Thanks so much for your website.
Now my bday is coming up and I’m browsing to see which one I’ll make for myself. Thank you ♡
Sally I love your recipes and I get it ads are how you make money but please realize that when I’m elbow deep in cake batter I don’t want to have to fight with my phone because flashplayer ads have either taken over the screen or caused my tablet to freeze stopping me in my tracks during a time sensitive operation like baking. Also for everyone else if you can’t find unsalted pistachios like me you can skip the salt in the batter and it will come out the same.
This is great feedback, thank you so much! Ads should never cover my content, I have restrictions in place for that, so I’ll have my team look into this. We’re always testing new formats for the recipe card, and this is a good reminder for less screen jumping. Sorry for all the trouble, but thank you for letting me know!
Omg every one of your recipes are amazing and I never go wrong, but this one is in my top favorites!! Thanks so much for sharing. I even found those cute flowers you decorated with
Just made this today and it turned out great!
I have a lot of frosting left.. can I freeze the frosting?
Hi MM, so glad you enjoyed the cake! You can freeze leftover frosting for up to 3 months. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.
As much as I LOVE almonds, I absolutely hate what almond extract does when baking. Can I skip it or use significantly less or is this cake the one that absolutely needs a tablespoon of it?
Hi Velda! The cake only calls for a tsp of almond extract.
This recipe is phenomenal!!!! I had a request from a workmate to make a pistachio cake, something I’ve never done. Everyone loved this so much that i’ve gotten requests for it even after I left the department. Your instructions and hints are on point and never left me guessing about anything and helped this amateur baker be successful. Thank you so much for sharing.
I brought this wonderful cake to a friends house and was told it was restaurant worthy
It was absolutely delicious……had to use lightly salted pistachios but I don’t think it made a difference. Thank you. My friend said it was restaurant worthy
Hi Sally, the ingredients list says “roasted or raw (not roasted)”. Could you please update to clarify? Thanks!
Hi Kristen, you can use roasted or unroasted pistachios for this cake.
My family’s favorite! Could I enhance by using brown butter in the cake?
Hi Nav, we’re so glad this is a favorite for your family! We haven’t tested a brown butter version of this cake, but that *should* work just fine. Be sure to account for moisture loss (more on that here) by starting with a bit more butter than needed. You’ll want to let the browned butter completely cool and solidify again so that it can be creamed together with the sugar. Or, you might enjoy topping this cake with our brown butter cream cheese frosting for that brown butter taste. Let us know if you give it a try!
I love the recipe but i may have overcooked it? because the cake was really grainy? sand—like texture vs silky moist texture. is there anyway i can avoid it the next time i make it?
Hi Trae, if the texture was dry and grainy, it sounds like the cake was likely over baked. For next time, try removing it from the oven a minute or two earlier and use a toothpick to test for doneness. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes will also be a helpful resource. Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try!
I made this for a dinner party and it was a huge hit! It was so light and really tastes like pistachios. Thank you for creating such a unique and tasty recipe!
Hi Sally! I’m excited to make this cake:) was just wondering if I could use 3 8” pans instead of the 9” pans ? Thank you
Hi Aileen, You can use the recipe as written for 8 inch cakes, the bake time will be a little longer for thicker cakes.
Hello, I’m planning on using this recipe for 3 x 8 inch pans for a wedding cake – please could you tell me how much extra time you would estimate baking for?
Hi Lou! The bake time will be slightly longer, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time, so keep an eye on them in the oven!
I made this for a dear friend’s birthday and everybody loved it SO much! It brought so much joy! Thank you very much!
So happy to read this!
hi sally, i have actual pistachio flour (no crumbs), can i sub that out for the cake flour and then continue on with the shelled pistachios as you suggest (in food processor) for the texture? i’d love to have the “pistachio punch” cake flavor.
also, would adding the whole eggs instead of egg whites only compromise the cake? i realize this might make the cake a bit denser which i’m fine with.
last question…do you think the cake would need a little bit of simple syrup with it being a little denser with whole egg addition?
thank you 😉
Hi Sonny, we haven’t tested this cake with pistachio flour, but we’d recommend sticking with cake flour for best results. It may not be a 1:1 swap with the cake flour, and the texture of the cake will be different. Only using egg whites ensures that the crumb is not weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. We don’t suggest substituting whole eggs. You can certainly feel free to add a simple syrup if desired.
This is the most wonderful cake, so moist, so light and so much flavour. Thank you so much!
I will be making this over and over again I am sure.
I baked this cake yesterday and the texture was really good even though I used All-purpose flour instead of Cake flour. I also reduced the sugar by 100g, meaning I only used 250g of sugar for the cake… it is still quite sweet and did not result in a dry crumb. For the cream cheese frosting, I also reduced the powdered sugar by about 50g and added 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice to give it a little more tang and cut down on the sugary taste. All in, it was a very successful 1st attempt and I must add that this recipe is quite forgiving. I baked in 2 8-inch round pan and ended up baking them at 175C for around 29 minutes. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
I would like to use a pistachio paste. If I do how much of it can I add in this recipe and should I omit the vanilla extract and keep the almond extract? Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Karel, we haven’t tested this recipe with pistachio paste. You can try adding about 1/2 cup to the batter and leaving out the ground/chopped pistachios. Let us know if you try it!
Hello! Do you think this would work as a 2 or 3 tiered cake for a wedding?
Hi Erika! With proper support from cake dowels (like we do for homemade wedding cake), this should work well as a small tiered cake.
Don’t add a so much milk !!!!!!! It’s very big mistake!!!!!! my cakes have become very liquid
Hi Sally, my cake doesn’t hold together. Not sure where I go wrong. What can it be pls.
Hi Celina, how is the texture of the cake? Does it seem especially dry? If so, it’s possible that the cake was a bit overbaked, or that that flour was overmeasured. Here’s more on how to properly measure baking ingredients (spooning and leveling flour is key!) and how to prevent a dry and dense cake–both will be helpful resources. Thank you for giving this one a try!