Pistachio Cake
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
55 mins
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Cooling (pistachios and cake
1 hr 15 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
10 - 12
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Calories
317 kcal
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Course
Cake, Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
Pistachio Cake
Description
The Pistachio Cake recipe starts by toasting pistachio kernels to release their nutty flavor before pulsing them into a powder for incorporation into the flour mixture. Dry ingredients include flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, which combine with the pistachio powder. The wet mix comprises room-temperature yogurt, melted butter, oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and an egg, which are blended until smooth. The optional use of green food coloring enhances the cake's characteristic hue without affecting flavor.
The batter is baked in a greased round cake pan at 180°C (350°F), producing a tender texture with a subtle pistachio aroma. The accompanying cream cheese whip is made from room temperature cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla, with optional lemon juice and salt to balance sweetness and enrich the topping’s creaminess.
Leftover cake stores well in the refrigerator for several days without the cream becoming watery, retaining pistachio flavor initially strong but pleasant even after days. The recipe notes emphasize the use of unsalted pistachio kernels, the importance of room temperature yogurt for batter rise, and mention substitutions for baking soda and yogurt where needed to maintain texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- 125g/ 4.4oz (just shy 1 cup) pistachio kernels unsalted (Note 1
Dry ingredients for batter:
- 1 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder (check yours still still good if it's old)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda) (Note 2)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt or cooking salt
Wet:
- 3/4 cup yogurt , plain, full-fat, at room temperature (Note 3)
- 60g/ 4 tbsp butter melted and slightly cooled, unsalted
- 1/4 cup cooking oil canola, vegetable, cottonseed etc, plain
- 3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg 50-55g/2oz), at room temperature, large
Colouring (optional)
- 4 drops green food coloring optional (Note 4
Cream cheese whip:
- 100g/ 3.5oz cream cheese , at room temperature (block best, tub ok)
- 3/4 cup thickened cream (heavy cream) or whipping cream (Note 5)
- 3 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160° fan-forced). Grease and line a 20 cm / 8" round cake pan with baking paper (parchment paper).
Pistachio powder:
- Toast - Spread the pistachios on a tray. Bake for 12 minutes, shaking once halfway, or until the pistachios smell nutty and are crisp (eat to check!). Fully cool on the tray (~15 minutes).
- Blitz - Measure out 3/4 cup pistachios (save the rest for decorating). Blitz into a powder using pulses, taking care not to turn it into a paste. I use a NutriBullet (2 x 2 sec bursts). Spice grinder or small food processor would also work. Some larger pistachio bits are fine, but aim for 98% powder. (Note 6)
Cake:
- Break up clumps - Put the pistachio powder in a large bowl with the flour. Briefly whisk to combine then use your fingers to rub pistachio powder clumps into a powder. No need to be meticulous here, just get the larger ones.
- Dry - Add the remaining Dry ingredients then whisk to combine.
- Wet - Put all the Wet ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk until combined.
- Combine wet & dry - Pour the Wet into the Dry ingredients bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix until the flour is almost mixed in.
- Colour it! Add the food colouring. Then finish mixing the batter until mostly lump free (small lumps will dissolve when baked).
- Scrape the batter into the pan and spread out it out (no need to be meticulous, the surface will smooth out in the oven).
- Bake for 40 minutes, turning the pan at 30 minutes so the surface browns evenly, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out without batter on it.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. (~1 hour)
- Chop the reserved pistachios (mix of finely chopped and larger chunks).
- Spread the cake with the Cream Cheese Whip (steps below). Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Cut and eat!
Cream cheese whip:
- Beat the cream cheese for a good 2 minutes on medium high until it's really light and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Do not shortcut this step, else you may end up with cream cheese lumps!
- Whip - Add the remaining ingredients then beat until the cream is softly whipped and spreadable, about 1 minute on medium high.
Notes
- Use unsalted shelled pistachios for this cake; if using ones in shells, reduce toasting time and adjust amounts accordingly.
- Ensure yogurt is at room temperature to aid batter rise; sour cream can substitute if loosened well.
- To avoid pistachio powder turning into paste, pulse briefly and shake the blender between bursts.
- Storage in the refrigerator for up to 4 days keeps the cream topping stable and preserves flavor.
- Swapping baking soda for extra baking powder alters rise and dome shape slightly but is acceptable.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10- 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 317 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 317cal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 49mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 92mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 208mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 18g | 36% |
| Vitamin A | 476IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 66mg | 7% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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