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
Very excited to try this!! I just wanted to know if I should cut the ingredients in half for a making sheet cake? LMK 🙂
Hi EB, To bake in a 9×13-inch pan: Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13-inch pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Same ingredient amounts. And here’s everything you need to know about converting to other cake pan sizes. Hope you enjoy the cake!
hi! could this work if i replaced the pistachios for other nuts such as hazelnut?
Hi Elena, 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!
I made this cake for my fiancé’s birthday and it was a hit. I used lemon buttercream instead and it was delicious. I had to make another batch of the frosting to get the sides covered, just keep in that mind. Will definitely be making again.
Hi Sally, could I incorporate pistachio butter into this recipe to enhance the pistachio flavor and add color?
Thank you!
Patti
Hi Patti, it would take some testing to add pistachio butter to this recipe, but we would love to hear what you try!
I’m in the middle of making this cake now and I’m a little confused. The ingredients list mentions 1 cup of whole milk, yet nowhere in the instructions does it mention when this is added. I came to the comments to find the answer, but was surprised no one has mentioned this error??
Hi Annabel, see end of step 4: “With the mixer still running on low, pour in the milk (and the green food coloring, if using) and mix just until combined.”
Made the recipe, didn’t have sour cream but had buttermilk instead. The cake stayed moist and soft even after coming out straight from the fridge. Amazing! Will make again
I’m trying to make this recipe and want to use a Bundt pan (stoneware)- any suggestions?
Hi Lisa, See recipe Notes for Bundt cake instructions.
I made this recipe and it was delicious. Question: I felt I didn’t end up with enough batter because my layers are not as thick as yours. I am certain I used the right measurement for the flour. Do you know another reason for why this happened?
Hi Nina, 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.
This recipe is AMAZING. I made for a baby shower and everyone LOVED. It is moist, light and it has a lot of pistachio flavour. I did not use food colouring because the pistachio already gives a nice light green. The only modification I made was adding raspberries with the cream cheese to give a fresh, citruses touch.
Hi Sally,
Do you think I can use the pastry cream filling in your boston cream pie recipe as a filling for this pistachio cake or is that something you don’t recommend. I love the combination of pistachio and pastry cream.
Thank you for your help.
Hi Elizabeth, that sounds delicious! We’d use a thin layer of buttercream on the top of the cake layer and a dam of buttercream around the edges before adding the pastry cream between the layers. This will help prevent it from oozing out the edges when stacked and sliced. Let us know how it goes!
Hi, I noticed you mentioned shelled pistachios at the start of the recipe but out of shells in the recipe section. Do we use 260g shelled or unshelled pistachio for this recipe?
Hi CR, you’ll want to use pistachios without their shells here.
When I made this it turned out super crumbly, dry, and almost crisp around the edges. It broke coming out of the pan. The flavor was good though. I’m sure I did something wrong but don’t know what, since other reviews cite this as super moist and delicate! Any tips? I’m remaking this for my boyfriend’s birthday next week, I’ll see if my direction-following is any better, but in the meantime I’d love your advice.
Hi Julie, I’d be happy to help troubleshoot. Check out this post, 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cakes, and see if any of those tips rings a bell for something you could have done or not done!
I made the cake and it was amazing!
One of the best ever!
What will happen if I replace pistachios with pulses almonds?
Hi Chrys, you can certainly give that a try! Let us know how it turns out!
I made this cake for Christmas dessert. Everyone loved it and a few took the recipe home! This will be made every Christmas! I did make the frosting with mascarpone instead of a cream cheese.
Hi! I’m going to bake this tonight however I noticed that at the top of the recipe it says that the total time is five hours. I read through the recipe and cannot find how that comes into play. Can you please elaborate? – Thanks!
Hi Sally! That time includes baking and cooling times for the cake.
Can I make this as a sheet cake please? Any advice ?
Hi Niki, Sure can! To bake in a 9×13 pan: Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13 pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Made this cake with cream cheese frosting for Christmas family gathering. Turned out very well. Most of my family and guests loved it.
Hi there! Did you use 2″ or 3″ deep pans?
Hi Jill, our cake pans are 2 inches deep.
Hi! Huge fan of your recipes!! Question – I don’t have 9-inch pans. Can I split this between 3 or 4 8-inch pans?
Hi Shivani, you can use the recipe as written for three 8 inch cakes, the bake time will be a little longer for thicker cakes.
Very excited to try this recipe! My 8oz bag of unshelled pistachios weighs 226 g…. it’s making me wonder if the cups or grams measure in the recipe is correct! Making for a party tomorrow… any thoughts would be most appreciated!
I reviewed the recipe, and the gram measurements are accurate for how the recipe was tested. 1 cup of pistachios that are out of shells is about 130g. You need 2 cups here, about 260g. Your bag weighs 8 ounces. The “cup” here is a volume measurement.
I first made this cake for my son‘s birthday a few years ago and now he asked for it every year! I add chocolate chips to the recipe, and it is delicious!
Can you use salted pistachios and omit the salt or will it be too salty?
See recipe notes! I usually use unsalted raw pistachios. However, the cake is still sweet even if you use salted pistachios. Salted actually adds extra flavor!
Thoughts on lime curd for filling and the addition of coconut somewhere? Also lime simple syrup for a brush?
Hi Chris! We haven’t tested adding lime or coconut flavors to this cake, but it could be very delicious. Honestly, the delicate flavor of this cake is so lovely that it may get lost behind those stronger flavors. But we would love to hear what you try!
Can I use this recipe to make a tree leches
We haven’t tested it but sounds delicious!
The cake tastes great, but the portion size in your recipe wasn’t acurate for 3x 9inch pans. Unless it was meant to be super thin.
I’ve never been a big fan of cake, but when I saw this recipe over a year ago I bookmarked it in my phone and decided when I finally got a stand mixer of my own I would try it out. Well I finally got one this week and this cake, including the cream cheese frosting, was the first thing I used the mixer for and the first cake I ever made from scratch! It was so good I’m already planning to make it again later this month and bring it to my husband’s family for the holidays. Very moist and not overly sweet, which I think is what bugs me about a lot of cakes (especially super sweet frosting).
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Marie! Thank you for giving it a try.
An absolutely fantastic cake. Tasty, moist and attractive. Follow the instructions exactly.
Hello,
I am wanting to make a pistachio cheesecake for Christmas. Do you perhaps have a recipe for that?
If not, I did find a recipe online but I’m a bit confused on either buying pistachio butter or pistachio cream/paste.
Then do I buy one that is sweetened or unsweetened???
The recipe calls for making a homemade paste with shelled pistachios & water but I’d rather buy the pistachio product instead to save time. The recipe also calls to add sugar to the homemade paste.
Could you please help me out on this?
Hi Dario, we do not have a recipe for pistachio cheesecake at this time, but it sounds delicious! We’d recommend reaching out to the recipe’s author for questions pertaining to their specific recipe.
This sounds delicious and I def plan on making it for my birthday in two weeks. Deep thoughts on adding a layer of jam/preserves between stacks? I imagine fig or raspberry would be kinda nice….but i also don’t want to ruin a good thing?
Hi Jess, you could try this raspberry cake filling, and follow the directions there about piping an icing dam to prevent the raspberry filling from spilling out the sides. Hope it turns out great!
I can only find sponge flour – and it is self raising. So I still need to add the baking powder and soda?
Hi Alks, we don’t recommend using a self-raising flour here. The leavening agents in the flour may not equate to the amount needed in this recipe. So it is best to use plain cake flour. If you don’t have cake flour available, you can try making your own blend with this DIY cake flour.