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Homemade pistachio cake slice with three green layers, creamy white frosting, and chopped roasted pistachios on top, served on a rustic wooden board.

Pistachio Cake

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This pistachio cake recipe offers both a quick cake mix version and a from-scratch Italian-style option, delivering a moist, nutty, and dessert. Topped with a creamy pistachio frosting.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Quick Pistachio Pudding Cake:
  • 1 box White cake mix - 15.25 oz
  • 1 package Instant pistachio pudding - 3.4 oz
  • 3 Eggs - Or flax eggs for vegan option
  • 1 cup Water
  • ⅓ cup Vegetable oil - Or melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup Pistachios, chopped - Plus more for garnish
  • ½ teaspoon Almond extract - Or vanilla extract
From-Scratch Pistachio Cake:
  • 2 cups All-purpose flour - Or gluten-free blend 1:1
  • 2 teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter - Softened, or dairy-free butter
  • 1¾ cups Granulated sugar - Or coconut sugar
  • 4 Eggs - Room temperature
  • 1 cup Ground pistachios - Toasted and finely processed
  • ¾ cup Whole milk - Or almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon Almond extract
Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 8 oz Cream cheese - Or vegan cream cheese
  • ½ cup Butter - Or vegan butter
  • 3 cups Powdered sugar
  • 2–3 tablespoon Ground pistachios
  • ¼ teaspoon Almond extract
  • drop Green food coloring - Optional or matcha powder

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls (One medium, one large)
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Whisk or fork (For dry ingredient mixing)
  • Rubber spatula (For folding in nuts)
  • 8-inch cake pans (Or one 9×13-inch baking dish or bundt)
  • Electric mixer (Hand or stand mixer)
  • Cooling rack
  • Serrated knife (For leveling layers (optional))

Method
 

Quick Pistachio Pudding Cake
  1. Preheat oven and prepare pan
  2. Combine dry ingredients
  3. Add wet ingredients and beat
  4. Fold in pistachios
  5. Pour into pan and bake
  6. Cool cake on wire rack
From-Scratch Pistachio Cake
  1. Preheat oven and prepare cake pans
  2. Whisk dry ingredients together
  3. Cream butter and sugar
  4. Add eggs one at a time
  5. Mix in pistachios and extracts
  6. Alternate flour and milk
  7. Divide batter and bake
  8. Cool cake layers
Frosting
  1. Beat cream cheese and butter
  2. Add powdered sugar
  3. Add flavorings and coloring

Nutrition

Serving: 120gCalories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 6gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 290mgPotassium: 190mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 650IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 1.8mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes.

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