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Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Chopped Pistachios Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 148 reviews

This Pistachio Cake is a moist, flavorful dessert featuring finely ground toasted pistachios blended into a tender cake batter, topped with a luscious cream cheese whip and crunchy chopped pistachios for garnish. Its rich nutty aroma, subtle tang from yogurt, and creamy frosting make it a delightful treat perfect for special occasions or afternoon tea.

Ingredients

Scale

Pistachio Powder

  • 125g / 4.4oz unsalted pistachio kernels (just shy 1 cup)

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda)
  • 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)

Wet Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt (full-fat, at room temperature)
  • 60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
  • 1/4 cup plain oil (canola, vegetable, cottonseed, etc.)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg (50-55g / 2oz, at room temperature)
  • 4 drops green food colouring (optional)

Cream Cheese Whip

  • 100g / 3.5oz cream cheese (block preferred, at room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup thickened cream (heavy cream or whipping cream)
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 20 cm / 8″ round cake pan with baking paper to ensure the cake releases easily.
  2. Toast Pistachios: Spread all pistachio kernels on a baking tray and bake for 12 minutes, shaking the tray once halfway through. The pistachios should become nutty-smelling and crisp. Allow them to cool completely on the tray for about 15 minutes.
  3. Make Pistachio Powder: Measure out 3/4 cup of the toasted pistachios and blitz them using short pulses in a NutriBullet, spice grinder, or small food processor. Aim for mostly fine powder with some small bits, avoiding turning it into a paste.
  4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the pistachio powder with the plain flour. Use fingers to break up any large clumps. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and caster sugar, whisking them together to combine.
  5. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract, and the large egg until evenly blended.
  6. Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Mix gently with a rubber spatula just until the flour is mostly incorporated but not overmixed.
  7. Add Food Colouring: Add 4 drops of green food colouring (optional) to the batter and mix until mostly smooth; small lumps will dissolve during baking.
  8. Prepare for Baking: Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly. Perfection isn’t necessary since the surface will smooth during baking.
  9. Bake the Cake: Bake for about 40 minutes, turning the pan once at 30 minutes for even browning. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean without wet batter.
  10. Cool the Cake: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely, approximately 1 hour.
  11. Prepare Chopped Pistachios: Chop the reserved pistachios into a mix of finely chopped pieces and larger chunks for decoration.
  12. Make Cream Cheese Whip: Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until very light and creamy, scraping the bowl sides as needed to avoid lumps.
  13. Whip Cream Mixture: Add the thickened cream, caster sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice (optional), and a pinch of salt to the cream cheese. Beat on medium-high speed until the cream is softly whipped and spreadable, about 1 minute.
  14. Assemble the Cake: Spread the cream cheese whip evenly over the cooled cake surface. Sprinkle generously with the chopped pistachios for texture and garnish.
  15. Serve: Slice and enjoy your delicious pistachio cake.

Notes

  • Use unsalted pistachios to control the saltiness of the cake.
  • Bi-carb soda (baking soda) and baking powder both help the cake rise but serve slightly different chemical roles.
  • Using full-fat plain yogurt at room temperature adds moisture and tenderness.
  • Green food coloring is optional and only for visual effect.
  • Thickened cream is the same as heavy cream or whipping cream, which helps make a rich topping.
  • When blitzing pistachios, use short pulses to avoid creating pistachio butter; keep mostly fine powder with some small pieces for texture.

Keywords: Pistachio cake, nut cake, cream cheese frosting, homemade cake, toasted pistachios, easy cake recipe

Find it online: https://tastewithamy.com/pistachio-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting-and-chopped-pistachios-recipe/