Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

If you’re looking for an easy layer cake that’s not your standard chocolate or vanilla, this Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Frosting is for you. The pistachios give the cake just the right amount of crunch, and a sweet, nutty flavor.

Easy Homemade Pistachio Cake

When it comes to nuts, pistachios are pretty unappreciated and underused in baking, so I always get excited when I can use them in a dessert like this pistachio cake.

A generous amount of pistachios goes into each moist, delicious layer. The flavor is unlike any other cake I’ve ever had, and there’s just the right amount of crunch. To let the flavor of the pistachios really shine, I paired this cake with a simple white chocolate buttercream. Think of it as the best supporting actor, with the pistachios being the star of the show.

As I’ve mentioned before, making elaborately decorated cakes is not my strong suit, but luckily, minimalist cakes are on-trend! This pistachio cake keeps it simple; you just need to frost the top of each layer, which still gives you plenty of creamy frosting in each bite. Of course, if you’re a big frosting fan, make extra and frost the sides as well!

What You’ll Need

Here’s everything you’ll need to make Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Frosting:

For the Pistachio Cake:

• All-purpose flour – Read my primer on flours for some baking basics!
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Unsalted butter – Take this out about a half hour before you plan to start on the recipe to let it soften at room temperature.
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs – Your eggs should be room temperature.
• Vanilla extract
• Sour cream – Sour cream makes cakes super moist!
• Chopped pistachios – Buy them shelled if you can find them and save yourself some time!

For the White Chocolate Frosting:

• Unsalted butter – Again, this will need to be softened.
• White chocolate – Spring for a good quality white chocolate. There are some brands that taste like wax!
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Vanilla extract – You can use a clear vanilla extract if you don’t want to darken the frosting. (Just remember that those are imitation vanilla extracts.)

How to Make Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

If you’ve never made a layer cake before, this is a good one to start out with! Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F, then grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

• 

• 

Combine the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and sugar until they’re light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla, mixing well to incorporate each addition.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the flour in three portions, alternating with two portions of sour cream. Once the ingredients are just combined, fold in the pistachios.

Bake the cakes. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and use a spatula to smooth the tops. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool. Take the pistachio cake layers out of the oven and place the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the cakes from the pans and place them directly on the wire racks to finish cooling.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Make the frosting. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter until it’s creamy. Pour in the melted white chocolate and beat until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and continue to beat the mixture until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Assemble the cake. Place the first layer of the cake on a cake plate and spread half of the frosting over the top. Next, place the other cake layer onto the frosted layer. Spread the remaining frosting on top of the cake. If desired, garnish the cake with pistachios.

Recipe Variations

• Try pairing this cake with cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, or chocolate buttercream.
• Frost the sides of the cake and press chopped pistachios into them.
• Drizzle dulce de leche over the cake before serving.

Tips for Success

Here’s how to make a perfect pistachio cake:

• About the color! You might be surprised that this cake isn’t green. You didn’t do anything wrong! Many pistachio-flavored desserts have food coloring added because pistachios aren’t green enough to add much color naturally. You can add a drop or two of food coloring to the batter if you like.
• Let the layers cool completely. Otherwise, the warm cake will melt the buttercream.
• Refrigerate before cutting. This will help keep your slices nice and clean, as opposed to collapsing in a heap on your plate.

How to Store Leftovers

You can store this pistachio cake in the refrigerator, either in an airtight container or tightly covered, for up to 5 days.

Can Leftovers Be Frozen?

You can freeze any leftover pistachio cake if it’s too much for you to eat in 5 days! Place the cake in the freezer uncovered until the frosting freezes through, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. (This keeps the frosting from being ruined.) Let the cake thaw in the fridge before eating.

This recipe was originally developed for Go Bold with Butter, where I am a paid contributor.

Share this: