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A small image of Pistachio cake
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4.17 from 18 votes

Pistachio Cake Made from Scratch

Pistachio cake has a light texture, a lot of flavor comingfrom the pistachio, butter, and vanilla. This cake has tendercrumbs and it stays super moist for days.
Course Cake
Cuisine American
Keyword Pistachio Cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 270kcal
Author Muna Kenny

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE BATTER

  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup pistachios out of shells
  • ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons fine sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup buttermilk how to make it at home in the notes below
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

FOR THE ICING

  • 1 and ⅓ cup confectioner’s sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoon milk or water

Instructions

MAKING THE PISTACHIO CAKE BATTER

  • Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
  • Preheat oven to 325F (162C). Grease and flour an 8” wide and 5” deep Bundt pan. (how to properly prepare a Bundt pan for baking in the post above).
  • Using a food processor, ground the pistachio until fine crumbs. (watch the video or refer to the image in the post).
  • In a big mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the fine pistachio. Mix well using a whisk or a spatula.
  • In a different bowl, beat the butter and sugar using a stand mixer or a hand mixer for 4 to 5 minutes until light in color. Add the oil and beat for one more minute.
  • Add an egg to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined, add the second egg and the vanilla, beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and beat for two minutes. (If you wish to add food coloring, this is the step where you can).
  • Add part of the flour to the butter mixture and beat at low speed, add part of the buttermilk and beat for few seconds. Repeat this step three times for the flour and the buttermilk. Mixing the batter shouldn’t take more than a minute, or you’ll be over mixing it.
  • Scrap the sides of the bowl and up the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
  • Scoop the batter using a spatula into the previously prepared Bundt pan. Run a butter knife through the batter to remove air bubbles. Gently tap the Bundt pan down against the kitchen counter; this will spread the batter evenly.
  • Place the baking pan under the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  • Place the Bundt pan over a cooling rack, leave the cake in the pan for 7 minutes.
  • To remove the cake from the pan, gently pull the side of the cake toward the center to release the cake.

MAKING THE ICING

  • Add the confectioner’s sugar to a mixing bowl; it’s best to sift it to avoid lumps.
  • To the confectioner’s sugar, add half a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract. You can also add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange zest.
  • Start by adding one tablespoon of milk or water and beat with a whisk. Add another tablespoon of milk or water and continue beating until it is thick yet pourable. The consistency should be thick and drops off of a spoon within seconds.
  • Pour the icing over the top part of the cake. Make sure the cake is cool, or the icing will melt.
  • Place a folded towel or kitchen towel over the counter.
  • Hold the serving plate of the cake from both sides and tap gently against the kitchen towel. The icing will run down the cake.

Video

Notes

  1. Instead of buttermilk, you can use milk or add 1 and ½ tablespoon of sour cream to the milk for a moist cake.
  2. Do not add salt to the cake if you are using salted butter.
  3. If you are using salted butter and salted pistachios in this recipe, you can remove some of the salt from the pistachio. The method is under (What you need to make the perfect Pistachio Cake). Omit the ½ teaspoon salt from the recipe.
  4. When using unsalted butter and salted pistachio, omit the salt from the recipe, and there is no need to remove the salt from the pistachio.
  5. Instead of two large eggs, use two whole medium eggs and one egg yolk.
  6. If you are fond of the green color in pistachio cake, then add two to three drops of green food coloring to the batter, use less food coloring if you are adding gel food coloring.
  7. To make a two-layer cake, use two 7” baking pans. The baking time will reduce, so keep an eye on the cake 15 minutes after placing it in the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal