Pistachio Cake (With Almond Glaze)

When you think of pistachio cake, the first thing to come to mind might be the no-fuss, retro Watergate Cake or the ever-so-elegant Persian Love Cake. This cake is like marital bliss between the two, which forms the most delicious, moist, elegant, and easy pistachio cake!

Why You’ll Love This recipe

• With just a few ingredients, this recipe comes together in a snap. No hand mixer or stand mixer is required either. Double bonus.
• This recipe uses finely crushed pistachios and almond extract, which are two flavor combinations that work together beautifully. It’s also drizzled with an almond glaze for a bit of added flavor and sweetness.
• Pistachios are bursting with health benefits. One way to help you feel less guilty about eating a big slice of cake is knowing it’s packed with added nutrients. Pistachios are full of antioxidants, fiber, protein, and essential amino acids, to name a few.
• This cake is naturally dairy free. Vegetable oil is used in place of butter, which lightens not only the saturated fat content, but also your wallet!

What You’ll Need

For the cake:

• 1 box (15.25 oz)of yellow or white cake mix
• 1 package (3.4 oz) of pistachio pudding mix (the powder)
• 1 cup of sprite or other lemon lime soda
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup finely chopped pistachios

For the glaze:

• 1 cup plus two tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tbsp your choice of milk (you can use dairy, almond, coconut, etc)

How to Make Pistachio Cake

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C), and grease your cake pan (I used this Bundt pan, but you can also use a 9×13 or two 9 inch round cake pans).
• In a food processor (or blender in a pinch), blitz 2/3 cup of pistachios into fine crumbs. Roughly chop a few extras for decoration, if you’d like.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, pistachio powder, 1/2 tsp almond extract, and 1/2 cups vegetable oil.
• Mix in eggs one at a time until combined, then add in the sprite and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
• With a spatula, fold in the chopped pistachios.
• Pour the batter into the greased Bundt pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a couple crumbs.
• Let the cake cool before flipping it over. when flipping it, place a cake on top of the bundt opening, then quickly flip it over to transfer it onto the plate. I highly recommend Nordic Ware Bundt pans because they are great non-stick pans, and the cakes slide right out!

For the almond glaze:

• In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup plus 2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 tsp almond extract, and 2 tbsp milk (or milk substitute) until well combined and lump free.
• Drizzle it over the cake.
• If you want the glaze thicker, add more powdered sugar. If you want it runnier, add a little more milk.

What If I Don’t Have a Bundt Pan?

If you don’t own a Bundt pan or would rather use a different type of cake pan, not to worry. Below, I’ve added different pans and their baking times for your convenience.

• 9×13 pan : 25-30 minutes (side note: metal pans are a better conduit for heat than glass pans, which means glass pans take longer to warm up)
• Two 9 inch cake pans : 35-40 min
• Three 6 inch cake pans : 20-25 min
• Cupcake pan : 20-25 min

Variations to Try

One of the best things about pistachios is that they are so versatile and go with so many other flavors. Here’s a few other ideas to try:

• A few drops of rosewater. Pistachio pairs beautifully with the floral notes of rosewater and will bring the cake closer to a Persian Love Cake
• Citrus. What is better to pair with the earthy, sweet flavor of pistachio, than with a burst of lemon or grapefruit flavor? Give your cake a citrus punch by adding some citrus zest.
• Strawberry. Decided to make a layered cake or cupcakes? Pile on some strawberry frosting! Strawberry and pistachio together are a match made in cake heaven.
• Dark Chocolate. First off, what doesn’t seem to pair well with chocolate? Dark chocolate and pistachio both have an earthy sweetness to them. A dark chocolate ganache drizzle or dark chocolate frosting on some pistachio cupcakes would be super yummy.
• Vanilla. The ride or die, versatile flavor. You can easily swap out the almond extract in the cake and glaze recipe for vanilla extract.

FAQ

If You Loved This Recipe, You’ll Love These:

• Strawberry Upside Down Cake
• Cranberry Baked Brie
• Easy Strawberry Buttermilk Scones
• Lemon Ricotta Pie

Pistachio Cake

This pistachio cake recipe is ultra fluffy and delicious, packed with pistachio flavor, and can be whipped up quickly using one bowl. Triple win.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:40 minutes mins

Total Time:52 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, holiday, party

Cuisine: American, European

Keyword: bundt cake recipes, easy cake recipes, pistachio bundt cake, pistachio cake

Servings: 10 People

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Ally

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Mixing bowl
• Bundt pan, 9×13, or 9 inch cake pan

Ingredients

• 1 Box (15.25 oz) yellow or white cake mix
• 1 Package (3.4 oz) pistachio pudding mix the powder
• 1 Cup Sprite or other lemon lime soda
• 1/2 Tsp almond extract
• 4 Large eggs
• 1/2 Cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 Cup finely chopped pistachios

Almond Glaze:

• 1/2 Tsp almond extract
• 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp Milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C), and grease your cake pan (I used a Bundt pan, but you can also use a 9×13 or two 9 inch round cake pans)
• In a food processor (or blender in a pinch), blitz 2/3 cup of pistachios into fine crumbs. Roughly chop a few extras for decoration, if you'd like.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, pistachio powder, 1/2 tsp almond extract, and 1/2 cups vegetable oil.
• Mix in eggs one at a time until combined, then add in the sprite and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
• With a spatula, fold in the chopped pistachios.
• Pour the batter into the greased Bundt pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a couple crumbs.
• Let the cake cool before flipping it over. when flipping it, place a cake on top of the bundt opening, then quickly flip it over to transfer it onto the plate.

For the almond glaze:

• In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup plus 2 tbsp confectioner's sugar, 1/2 tsp almond extract, and 2 tbsp milk (or milk substitute) until well combined and lump free.
• Drizzle it over the cake.
• If you want the glaze thicker, add more powdered sugar. If you want it runnier, add a little more milk.

Notes

• Storing- This cake can be left in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator up to five days. To freeze, cut the cake into slices, wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then place into a large freezer safe Ziploc bag. You can freeze up to two months. Refrigerate overnight to thaw before serving again.
• Don’t want to use pistachios? No worries! Finely chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or cashews would substitute nicely.
• If your cake stuck to the Bundt pan, it most likely wasn’t greased well enough. Make sure to use a non-stick pan, and make sure it’s greased in all the crevices of the Bundt pan. Also, make sure the cake cools down at least 20 minutes before trying to remove it from the pan.