Pistachio Cake

Name: Pistachio Cake Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 227 g Unsalted Butter (room temperature); 360 g Granulated Sugar ((Caster sugar)); 375 g All-purpose Flour ((Plain Flour)); 2 tsp Baking powder; 1/2 tsp Baking soda; 1 tsp Salt; 3 Large Eggs (room temperature); 80 g Sour Cream (room temperature); 240 ml Whole Milk (room temperature); 80 g Pistachio Paste; ½ tsp Almond Extract; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 100 g Pistachios (roughly chopped); 1 batch Italian Meringue Buttercream; 40 g Pistachio Paste

Finally - a pistachio cake recipe that actually tastes like pistachios!

This soft, fluffy pistachio layer cake is made with real pistachio paste and chopped pistachios for a deep, nutty flavour in every bite. No artificial flavouring, no pudding mix - just pure pistachio goodness.

Pistachio cake on a cake stand with a slice being taken out of it to reveal the layers of fluffy cake and italian pistachio buttercream inside.

Quick Look: Pistachio Cake Recipe

A soft four-layer pistachio cake made with real pistachio paste and chopped nuts, filled and frosted with silky pistachio Italian buttercream.

Makes 12 slices

Prep 25

Bake 35

Total 2

☆ Why make THIS version? Pistachio paste gives both the cake and buttercream a concentrated, genuine pistachio flavour without relying on pudding mix or weighing down the crumb with lots of ground nuts.

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This pistachio cake is one of the oldest recipes on my blog - and still one of my favourites.

I've loved pistachio desserts long before they had their moment, but when I first went looking for a pistachio cake recipe… I was not impressed. So many of them use pistachio pudding mix (hard pass) or rely on loads of almond extract, which just turns the whole thing into almond cake pretending to be pistachio.

So I developed my own - properly. I use pistachio paste to load the batter with real pistachio flavour without messing up the texture (it's my go-to in pretty much all of my pistachio recipes), and then add chopped pistachios for even more flavour and texture.

I originally published this recipe in 2020 and have made it many times since, most recently retesting and refining it in 2026.

Reader Review:

I've made this cake 4 times and now it's my specialty that my friends and fam ask me to make for them!! Someone even made it for my wedding!! It's always so moist, my fave recipe by far.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Harper

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Quick Look: Pistachio Cake Recipe
Key Ingredients
How to Make Pistachio Cake
Flavor Pairings
Storage
Pistachio Cake FAQs
More Pistachio Desserts
Pistachio Cake Recipe

Key Ingredients

This pistachio cake is made from scratch, without any pudding mix or artificial flavors. The ingredients are fairly simple, but there are a few important things to pay attention to.

Ingredients to make pistachio cake, including flour, sugar, butter, pistachio paste, eggs, salt, sour cream, vanilla extract and almond extract.

Pistachio Paste - You can easily make homemade pistachio paste, or you can buy it online. Note: If you are buying it, make sure you get pistachio paste or pistachio butter, and NOT pistachio cream - see below.
Flour - All-purpose flour (Plain flour) gives the best structure. I have tested multiple times with cake flour, and it does work, but it can be a bit too soft.
Eggs - Use large eggs in the US or medium eggs in the UK (British eggs are bigger).
Sour Cream - This gives the pistachio cake a gorgeously soft, fluffy texture. Can be substituted with Greek yoghurt.
Almond Extract - Pistachios don't have a naturally strong flavor, but almond extract kind of pulls it out and gives it a twirl around to show it off. The key is for the almond to complement the pistachio, rather than overpower it.
Pistachios - Use unsalted pistachios; raw or roasted are both fine. If you are making your own pistachio paste, you'll need a lot more.

Make sure your butter, eggs, milk, and sour cream are all room temperature before beginning.

See the recipe card below for the full recipe with measurements in both cups and grams (though I always recommend weighing with a kitchen scale).

Pistachio Paste vs Pistachio Cream

This is the most important thing to get right in this recipe - pistachio paste and pistachio cream are two completely different ingredients!

✔️ Pistachio paste (or pistachio butter)

Made from 100% pistachios
Unsweetened
Strong, natural pistachio flavor.

❌ Pistachio cream

Sweetened spread (like Nutella)
Contains added sugar, milk, and flavorings
Makes a great topping, but not suitable for baking.

I can't believe how many baking blogs don't know the difference, especially with the Dubai chocolate craze happening recently.

Slice of pistachio cake on a plate with four thin layers of cake and Italian meringue buttercream.

How to Make Pistachio Cake

This is a super easy cake to make and uses a classic creaming method, but with the pistachio paste added as well.

scooping a spoonful of pistachio butter in a heart shaped bowl.

Make Pistachio Paste

Make the pistachio paste first so it can cool before using. You can also make it in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

See my complete guide on how to make pistachio paste.

Alternatively, you can just buy it online and skip this step.

Butter, sugar, and pistachio paste creamed together in a glass mixing bowl until light and fluffy to make pistachio cake.

Creaming Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan) and grease two 8-inch cake pans. I also like to line the bottom with parchment paper circles.

Cream the butter, sugar, and pistachio paste together until light and fluffy.

Pistachio cake batter in a glass mixing bowl, showing the soft texture after adding the eggs.

Add Eggs

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, then add half of them to the cake batter and mix it in on low speed.

Pistachio cake batter in a mixing bowl, thick and glossy with a pale green colour.

Wet + Dry Ingredients

Pour in the wet ingredients, including sour cream, milk, and both extracts, and mix slowly until completely incorporated.

Then stir in the remaining flour - be careful not to overmix.

Chopped pistachio nuts being added to pistachio cake batter.

Add Chopped Pistachios

Add the chopped pistachios to the bowl and fold them in.

There's no need to toast them first; they will soften in the oven to give just a tiny bit of bite.

Pistachio cake batter divided between two cake pans.

Bake

Divide the pistachio mixture between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Pistachio cake on a cake stand, covered with soft pistachio buttercream and chopped pistachios.

Make the Pistachio Buttercream

Use my Italian meringue buttercream recipe for the silky frosting I used on my cake, then add a few tablespoons of pistachio paste to it at the very end to make a pistachio frosting.

If your frosting looks split, curdled or soupy at any stage, my guide to fixing broken buttercream explains how to bring the emulsion back together

pistachio cake with pistachio Italian meringue buttercream, a slice is being taken out of it.

Fill and Frost

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool, slice each cake in half horizontally to make four thinner layers.

Fill and frost with pistachio buttercream, and decorate with chopped pistachios.

Flavor Pairings

Pistachio pairs beautifully with many different flavors, and changing the filling or frosting can give the same cake an entirely different character.

Berries - Especially raspberry and strawberry. Try adding a raspberry jam or sweet strawberry filling between the cake layers.
Citrus - Add lemon zest to the batter or buttercream, or spread a thin layer of my silky homemade lemon curd between the cake layers to make a lemon pistachio cake with sharp flavor contrast.
Chocolate - Chocolate and pistachio are a match made in heaven - try spreading a layer of dark chocolate ganache in the middle of the cake layers.
Pistachio Cream Topping - Though sweet pistachio cream cannot replace pistachio paste in the cake batter, it makes a delicious topping or filling. I use it on top of my creamy baked pistachio cheesecake and it's always a winner!

Green Cake - If you'd like to make your pistachio cake a bright green color, you can add a few drops of green food coloring (gel). It's fun for a theme like St. Patrick's Day or to make the cake pop. Though I think the natural color is super pretty!

pistachio cake covered in pistachio italian meringue buttercream.

close up of pistachio cake, bright green sponge flavoured with real pistachios

Single pistachio cupcake on three small stacked plates, with pistachios strewn around the background

Frosting Pairings

Italian meringue buttercream is really lovely on this pistachio cake as it is silky, elegant, and not too sweet, so it lets the pistachio flavor shine. But I have made this cake with many different frosting options; these were my favorite:

Russian Buttercream - A quick and easy alternative, my glossy Russian Buttercream recipe has the same silky texture but only takes 10 minutes to make (and takes on flavor from the pistachio paste very well).
Cream Cheese Frosting - One of the most popular pairings with pistachio cake and an absolute classic.
Mascarpone Cream - Fold mascarpone cheese into sweeteened whipped cream to make a light and luxurious mascarpone cream frosting.

Overhead view of a pistachio cake with pistachio buttercream swirled on top, and a crescent of chopped pistachios to decorate.

Storage

Store your homemade pistachio cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

You can freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months.

Pistachio Cake FAQs

If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered here, please write it in the comment section, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Are pistachio paste and pistachio butter the same thing?

Yes, pistachio paste and pistachio butter are two names for the same thing. They are both made with 100% pistachios (and sometimes a little oil).

What is the difference between pistachio paste and pistachio cream?

Pistachio paste is made with 100% pistachios, whereas pistachio cream has lots of other ingredients added to make it a sweet spread or filling.

Can this Recipe Make Pistachio Cupcakes?

Yes, it can! In fact, I actually have a whole post dedicated to Pistachio Cupcakes.
You can also use this recipe in a bundt cake pan to make a pistachio bundt cake, just make sure you grease your bundt pan VERY thoroughly as this is a very soft cake.

What flavors go with pistachio?

Pistachio is such a versatile flavor because it can be light and fresh or rich and decadent, depending on what you pair it with. For crisp flavors, pair with fresh raspberry or lemon. For something more indulgent, pistachio goes beautifully with dark chocolate and creamy flavors like custard.