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
Moist, delicious, and with a delicate pistachio flavor, this cake was a hit! I skipped the food coloring and used buttermilk for the sour cream and whole milk (as Sally had suggested in the comments.) I also used the larger amount of cream cheese frosting from the carrot cake recipe—I am lucky that I tasted the frosting after I had iced the cake or I would have eaten the whole bowl.
I’m so excited to make this – do you think it would be overkill to add a layer of your homemade lemon curd?
Saida, lemon curd would be delicious between cake layers!
I love this recipe! However, I got a new loaf pan with flowers on top, perfect for spring! Can I bake this at 350 degrees for about an hour to make this into a loaf? If so, I’m going to glaze it with the brown butter glaze from the pistachio drop cookies just thinned out a little 🙂
Hi Sarah, we’ve never tested this batter as a loaf cake, so we’re unsure of results. You can use our post on Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions to figure out how much batter you need for different pans.
Sarah, that glaze (and your beautiful cake pan) sounds amazing!
Would this cake be good with your strawberry frosting from the “pistachio cupcakes with strawberry frosting” recipe? Would I need to scale that strawberry frosting recipe up a bit in order to cover a layer cake?
Hi Holly, yes, absolutely! We would double the frosting recipe to cover a two layer cake.
Sally belle, can I use buttermilk? Happy Easter, dearie…thank you for all of the delicious recipes
Hi Cindi, you can replace the whole milk and sour cream with buttermilk. Use 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml).
Can the cake layers be made in advance, frozen, and then defrosted to decorate the day of the event (easter)?
Yes, absolutely! Here’s our post with tips for freezing cakes.
Hi Sally!! I love all of your recipes and bake up a batch of something once a week! I am planning on baking this cake for Easter but want to put it in a sheet pan and use a cookie cutter to cut out mini circles to make individual mini cakes. Do you think that would work well filled with your raspberry cake filling? Also, how long would you suggest baking this cake in a sheet pan for? Thank you so much, looking forward to trying this recipe 🙂
Hi Nikelle, that sounds lovely! You can bake this cake as a single layer 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. Same temperature. We’re unsure about other cake pan sizes. Let us know how it goes!
I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday and attempted to decorate it as prettily as Sally did. Making the cake was fairly easy except shelling all those pistachios! The cake’s flavor was great and the almond extract enhanced the pistachio flavor. The crumb was maybe a little dry and dense. This might be due to the cake pans I use. 9” Fat Daddio Anodized aluminum. Cakes bake quickly on the sides but the middle remains mushy and underdone with the toothpick test. Because I don’t want it to over bake it on the outside rim I have to turn down the oven temperature by ten degrees and bake it for an additional five to ten minutes. There must be something wrong with the construction pans so I will return them and stick to Nordic Ware or Chicago Pro. Thanks, Sally!
Please clarify for me about the use of cake flour, yet, baking powder and soda are still added. I was under the impression that using cake flour eliminated the need for adding more of these two ingredients. This recipe sounds amazing, and I cannot wait to try it first hand. The decoration touches are beautiful.
Hi Teresa, that’s correct — cake flour doesn’t include leavening agents so we still want to add in the baking powder and baking soda separately. Hope you enjoy the cake!
How do I adjust for high altitude? Im at 5200 ft.
This recipe looks yummy!
Hi Lauren, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
This cake was fabulously moist and our St. Patrick Day crowd loved it. I made the carrot cake version of the cream cheese icing and had plenty with about a cup left over for anyone wondering. I did use 9 inch pans and it was great fun to have 3 layers. I served the cake with a slice of Kiwi and a ripe strawberry and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Would a Swiss Meringue or even an Italian buttercream be sturdy enough to frost this cake if you wanted to also use the raspberry filling?
Hi Julia, yes, you can use Swiss meringue buttercream here with raspberry filling. Enjoy!
Are the egg whites suppose to be whipped first or just add the whites that have been separated
Hi Betty, you don’t whip the egg whites first, just add them to the creamed butter and sugar. Happy baking!
Thank you! Looking forward to making this cake very soon
Hi, could this recipe be used to make 2 tier (4 layered 6 inch tier on top of 4 layered 8 inch tier) cake?
Hi Nidhi, With proper support from cake dowels (like we do for homemade wedding cake), this should work well as a small tiered cake.
I had high hopes but I found the cake to be flavorless and the frosting to be way too sweet even after adding additional salt. Very Unfortunate as it is an expensive cake to bake. It definitely requires enhancing.
Can I bake this cake as abundt just one pan?
Hi Phyl, This cake batter will fit in a 10-12 cup Bundt pan, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi, I have made this cake many times before and it is amazing!!
How can I adjust the ingredients and cook temp/time for a small cake tin? Like a 4inch or 6 inch tin?
Hi Dee, Our pistachio cupcakes batter fits perfectly into three 6 inch cake pans. You can read more about making 6 inch cakes with cupcake batter in our 6 inch cakes post.
I’d like to make this for a birthday cake and I’d like to have more frosting so I can decorate it.
Can I use buttercream frosting for a thicker frosting to decorate with, or can I use the cream cheese frosting, and just make a larger batch?
Hi Debbie, cream cheese frosting will hold simple piping, but for more intricate piping and to ensure it holds shape better, we’d recommend making vanilla buttercream to decorate with. You could still use the cream cheese frosting for between the layers and as a crumb coat. Hope the cake is a hit!
Hi! I measured out 260 g of pistachios and pulsed them into a very fine crumb, just like the picture you posted, if not a little finer. However, I’ve got 2 cups of pistachio crumb rather than 1.5. I know you said that any extra can be set aside for garnishing, but 1/2 a cup seems like a lot extra to put aside? Just not sure if I should use 260 g or 1.5 cups in the batter. Thank you! Excited to make this cake anyway (making it tomorrow, just did a bit of prep work today haha)!!
Hi Maria! Use 1.5 cups in the cake batter. Hope you love the cake!
My husband has requested this cake for his past several birthdays! I am wondering if adding a raspberry or orange filling would work, just to change things up a bit? Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful recipes!
Hi SB, a layer of our raspberry cake filling would be fantastic with this cake! Let us know if you give it a try.
Hi. Just like to ask possible for me to bake this in square tin mold instead?
Hi Jasmine, here is everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Hope you enjoy this cake!
I have a question. The pistachios can I use roasted or not? Because toi sais raw or roasted, but after tout Said not roasted.
Hi Josianne, you can use roasted or raw (unroasted) pistachios for this cake.
I’m planning to try this recipe, but also wondering if it would work with gluten free measure for measure flour. Have you tried it that way?
Hi Carolyn, we haven’t tested it, but other readers have reported success using a 1:1 gluten free flour (like Bob’s Red Mill) in this cake recipe. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Thanks for the quick response! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
I would love to make this cake!
How can I adjust for high altitude? I am at 5500 feet. Thank you! I’m
Hi Lauren, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I made your cake twice , once last week and once this week, both times the cakes were delicious. I have a question though both times I have made this recipe the cake doesn’t rise much and I just wanted to confirm this. I used fresh baking powder and baking soda. thank you
As long as the cake doesn’t seem overly dense, it sounds like it’s perfect! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
I’ve made this cake before and it was amazing, moist, and full of flavour. I wanted to make it again but as a birthday cake.. is there any way to modify the recipe to do a small tiered cake? I.e. 2 9-inch cake layers and then 2 5-inch or something? Thank you for any guidance!
Hi Lauren! With proper support from cake dowels (like we do for homemade wedding cake), this should work well as a small tiered cake. You can simply use this batter as written and divide between 2 pans instead of 3. Bake for around 25 minutes and, as always, use a toothpick to test for doneness. Then you could use our pistachio cupcakes batter for the top layer. It makes the perfect amount for a 3 layer, 6 inch cake, so you can simply use your 2, 5 inch pans, filling 2/3 way full, and using any leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side. Hope this helps!
This was so good! I made it for Christmas. Me and my daughters had a baking contest for Christmas desserts. They were all delicious – but this one won!!
( I would have attached pictures, but couldn’t get them on here)
I tried the recipe and it was soooo moist and delicious. And so easy to make!
I am wondering if I could bake the batter at once (for 40-50min) instead of baking it in 3 separate trays?
You can bake the batter as a single layer 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. Same temperature. We don’t, however, recommend baking it in just one round pan. It will be too much batter and cause the pans to overflow and bake unevenly. Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi! I have different size cake pans instead of 3 that are same size, how would you recommend layering it with different sizes? Would it be possible to do a stacked cake with different size layers? What would the baking process look like?
Hi Jay, you can make this cake in the pans that you have (filling about half way) any try stacking it like our homemade wedding cake. Baking time will vary based on the size pans you are using (the smaller the pan, the shorter the bake time). This post on cake pan sizes and conversions may be helpful. OR if you have a single 9 inch round pan, you can bake the layers in batches. You can leave the leftover batter covered at room temperature while waiting for each layer to bake.
This recipe is great! Making it for the second time, can I replace one of the teaspoons of vanilla extract with pistachio essence? Or would that be too overpowering?
We haven’t tested this cake with pistachio essence, but let us know how it goes if you do!
Can this be made into 2 layers in 9″ pans as opposed to 3 layers?
Hi Dina, This batter should work just fine as a two layer cake, in 9 inch pans. Bake for around 25 minutes and, as always, use a toothpick to test for doneness – enjoy!
I am using salted butter and salted pistachios. Should I skip the 1 t of salt in the recipe?
I wouldn’t skip the added salt entirely. Instead, I would reduce down to 1/2 teaspoon.