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My Pistachio Cake is So Good!
Every once in a while I create a new cake recipe that I become utterly obsessed with. I’ll make it anytime someone comes over or when I’m invited as a dinner guest somewhere. It was Olive Oil Cake for, like, 3 years, then my Almond Cake for many, many occasions. Recently, it’s been my Chocolate Loaf Cake…that was until I developed this Pistachio Cake.
Move over every other cake because this one has the most gorgeous green color (just from pistachios—no artificial food dye around here), a soft and moist texture, and a fragrant rose water-infused cream cheese frosting that pairs so well with the nutty, sweet pistachio flavor. I’ve brought this cake over to friends’ houses twice so far and it’s been a 10 outta 10 for everyone! I hope you love it, too!
This recipe was part of our monthly Cooking Challenge for March 2025!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pistachios: You can try raw or roasted pistachios. Roasted pistachios will add a nuttier flavor. Just be sure to use unsalted!
- Water: Boiling the pistachios with water will allow you to easily remove their skin.
- Milk: You can use any kind of milk—whole, low-fat, almond, oat.
- Dry ingredients: Flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt! While I haven’t tried it, you can substitute the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free blend. Also, I recommend using aluminum-free baking powder to avoid any metallic taste.
- Wet ingredients: Olive oil, eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract! I love the flavor olive oil gives this pistachio cake. You can use another type of oil if that’s what you have, like coconut or avocado. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, sour cream could work instead!
For the Frosting
- Cream cheese: Make sure the cream cheese is softened so it’s easy to get fluffy.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter and just add a pinch of salt myself.
- Powdered sugar: This is also known as confectioner’s sugar! It’ll mix into the frosting super quickly.
- Rose water: If you can’t find this, I’ve used vanilla extract before.
Popular Additions
- Spices. Mix in up to ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom, cinnamon, or nutmeg into the dry ingredients.
- Chocolate. Who doesn’t love chocolate? I know I do! I want to try stirring ½ cup of chopped, white chocolate or chocolate chips into the cake batter before baking!
- Citrus. Lemon and pistachio are so good together. Try zesting 1 lemon and adding the zest to the cake. You could also mix a little lemon juice into the frosting!
- Coconut. Substitute coconut milk for the milk and top the pistachio cake with toasted coconut flakes.
- Top with crushed pistachios and dried rose petals. My recipe doesn’t call for this, but it adds crunch and flavor I highly recommend it. (the rose petals are what is pictured on top of the cake with the pistachios)
How to Make Pistachio Cake
The first step of this pistachio cake is homemade pistachio butter, which will make sure every bite of the cake has so much nutty flavor!
Make the Pistachio Butter
Make the Cake Batter
Cream Cheese Frosting with Rose Water
My Best Pistachio Cake Recipe Tips
- Add rose water to your frosting. Rose water pairs well with pistachio and a splash in the cream cheese frosting adds a fragrant touch. I usually have to order rose water online, but it keeps for a while and is so worth it. (Fact: It’s really, really good in lemonade!)
- Let the cake cool in the pan first. If you try to remove it right away, the cake could easily crumble! Letting it cool in the pan first will help it set.
- Sift the powdered sugar if you’re dealing with clumpy powdered sugar. I use a fine-mesh strainer to do this! It takes less than a minute and will make sure there are no clumps in the cake’s frosting.
Recipe Help & FAQs
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, the cake will last 4-5 days! You can add pieces of parchment or wax paper in between the cake slices to stop them from sticking together.
Yes, you can! But I would only freeze the cake unfrosted. Wrap the cake in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to 6 months! I recommend thawing it in the fridge for a few hours before slicing.
I highly recommend it. The pistachio skins will only muddy the color of the cake–and we want a nice, bright green color!
More Pistachio Dessert Recipes:
- Pistachio Pudding
- Pistachio Baklava
- Pistachio Cookies
- Pistachio Butter Cups
- Lebanese Rice Pudding
- Dubai Chocolate Bar
- Layali Lubnan (Semolina Pudding)
- Pistachio Biscotti
- White Chocolate Bark
If you try this Pistacho Cake recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Pistachio Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups shelled pistachios
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup whole milk warmed
- Cooking spray
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon rose water or vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Pistachio Butter
- Place pistachios and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then boil for 3 minutes. Drain and set on a clean tea towel. Pull the towel over the nuts and rub them gently to remove the pistachio skin. Discard the pistachio skins.
- Add the pistachios to the bowl of a small food processor with the warmed milk. Allow them to soak for about 30 minutes to help infuse the pistachio flavor. Then, process for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the strength of your food processor, scraping the bowl down often, or until the mixture resembles a smooth nut butter.
Pistachio Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pistachio butter, oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract until evenly incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and light.
- Once the cake is cooled, spread frosting on top. Garnish with crushed pistachios, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
It was so easy to make and it was delicious!!
Amazing! So glad you loved the cake and found the recipe easy. Thank you, Johna!!
Good afternoon, if I use pistachio cream that I have – what amount would I use? Thank you so much!
Hi Julia! Unfortunately, pistachio cream and pistachio butter aren’t interchangeable in this recipe.
OMG! This cake is so delicious! It’s super moist and fluffy. I didn’t have rose water, but it turned out amazing anyway. I’ll have to try it with rose water next time. This recipe is going to be one of our family’s favorite cakes. We can’t get enough of it! Love your recipes!!
Yay, so happy you and your family loved it!! You definitely have to try it with the rose water next time, it is so good!
This pistachio cake recipe is an absolute winner! The cake turned out incredibly moist, with a perfect balance of nutty richness and just the right amount of sweetness. The pistachio flavor really shines through, and the texture is light yet satisfying. I followed the recipe as written, and it was easy to make with fantastic results. It’s a great dessert for any occasion—definitely a new favorite. Highly recommend giving it a try!
Yay!! Aww, so happy you loved it! Thank you so much, Ashneet!
This Pistachio Cake was perfection! The rose cream cheese frosting was so delicious! A treat during this month of Ramadan! Loved it!!!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much, Noreen!
This recipe is everything!!! Absolutely loveeee the way it turned out, the recipe is much easier to make than I had expected. Also I love the fact that there’s 12g of protein per serving slice!! This is definitely on my favorite desserts list to make for events! Thank you for sharing Yumna 🙂
Aww, so glad you love it!! Thank you so much, Qudsia!!
I have been baking pistachio cakes with my mom since I was a little girl. This cake is far superior to any version we tried before! This one will be our new family recipe.
Wow, what a compliment!! Thank you so much, Kim! So happy you love the recipe!
Love this recipe! Cake is airy and light, not too sweet, did not try the frosting but the cake is moist and delicious.
So happy you love it, Rawan! Thank you!!
Love it! So good and also so beautiful with the green look.
Thank you, Annick! So happy you liked it!
Thank you for this great recipe. Cake turned out to be amazing! Very fluffy and moist and the rose water in frosting made it smell wonderful! This cake is an original idea for iftar, my guests were impressed! I used half of the amount of sugar in the frosting. I wonder how it would turn out if we don’t peel the pistachios.
Yay, I’m so happy you liked it!! If you skipped removing the pistachio skins, your pistachio butter would not be as smooth and the color of your cake would be more brown instead of a vibrant green. I think the step is well worth the extra effort but would love to hear how your cake turns out if you skip it!!
Yum!! My first cooking challenge and it was delicious 😋 everyone loved it, even the kiddos even though it was green 💚
I tried this cake recipe and came out really well. It was so moist. I halved the whole cake recipe because I only need it in small quantity 🥰
Glad to hear the recipe worked well when halved! Thank you, Shama!
Yay, so happy you and your kids loved it! Thanks!!
Omg I will be definitely making this on Eid. I have all of Feel Good Foodie’s recipes on repeat in my home so I KNOW this one is going to be AMAZING!!😍😍🤍
I hope you like it, Sidrah!
A very moist cake, the entire family loved it and they’re already asking for me to make it again, frosting was perfectly sweet and we love the rose water in it! I will definitely be making this again for Easter!
Yay, love that!! So happy the whole family liked the cake. Thank you so much!
Delicious and very moist! We only used about half of the frosting on the cake though.
I made this for my father in law’s bday this month and it was a hit. He loved it, especially the rose water flavor in the icing. My son and husband also loved it. Recipe was very easy to follow. The only thing I had trouble with was removing the pistachio skins
Removing the pistachio skins is a bit tedious but well worth it, I think! So happy your father-in-law loved his birthday cake and that everyone else in the family enjoyed it, too!! Thank you!
Thank you, Amanda! So happy you liked it!!
Saw it on your post a few times and decided to take part in the challenge! How can you say no to pistachios? I love how easy it was after the labor of removing the skins. The touch of cream cheese frosting was perfect! Shared it with my neighbors, and they all loved it! I did need to bake it more than the recommended time. Looking forward to making it again.
Aww, so happy you and your neighbors loved it!! Thank you so much for letting me know your cake needing additional bake time, that’s really helpful feedback!
I made the challenge recipe as cupcakes 🧁 and they are delicious. It is a little labor of love 💕 with the pistachio, but it was worth it. I wonder if this would be great with walnuts or pecans too. Another keeper recipe. Thank you, Yumna.
Yay, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Love that you made it into cupcakes. Thank you, Agnes!
This cake is perfectly moist and so delicious! The frosting has just the right amount of sweetness. The color is also so pretty!
Yay, so happy you love it!! Thank you!
YUMMY !
Yay!! So glad you liked it, Patti!
I made this recipe over the weekend. Came out better than when my daughter made it. I did bake it a little over the suggested time this time. Instead of a full frosting I glazed the cake. Love the rose water flavor. This recipe will be on repeat! My friends were impressed. Wanted to post a pic. Couldn’t figure out how. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yay, so happy you liked how it turned out!! I love rose water too, it really makes this cake. Love that you went for a glaze! Thanks so much for sharing, Michele!
Super delicious! No leftovers with my very picky family 🙂
Yay, that’s amazing! So happy they all loved it. Thanks, Teresa!!
This was great! Easy to do and delicious. It stayed moist on the second day too and we all loved it. Will be making it again!
Flavor is so lovely. Labor of love to shell and skin pistachios but worth it! A nice dessert option for a dinner party!
Aww, so glad you liked it! Yes, it’s definitely a labor of love. Thanks, Dawn!!
Made 2x the recipe for a birthday layer cake. Divine! I usually need to soak layer cakes with some simple syrup but this cake is perfectly moist and doesn’t need anything. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect!
Aww, that makes me so happy to hear!! So glad it worked as a layer cake, that’s amazing! Thanks, Tala!!
This is a really delicious cake! Removing the pistachio skins is no joke – hang in there! Worth it. My cake took longer to bake in the center and I worried that the edges would be too tough, but the end result was somehow still moist. And, the cream cheese icing made it more inviting for pistachio sceptics. Thank you!
Haha yes, peeling the skins is so worth it!! So happy your cake turned out moist and that the cream cheese frosting made it more inviting. Thank you, Emiley!
I had to try this recipe because pistachio and rose are one of my favorite flavor combos! It was a hit at book club, and I really enjoyed learning how to make pistachio butter!
Yay!! Aww, so happy you and your book club loved it! Thank you, Claire!
I made it over the weekend and it’s fantastic! Making the pistachio butter is the most labour intensive part. Could that be made a few days beforehand?
Yay, so glad you loved it! Yes, you can absolutely make pistachio butter ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge; if you make it in bulk it will last up to 3-4 weeks.
I love anything involving pistachios so I knew I would love this cake and it did not disappoint! It is so moist and tender and the rose water in the frosting gives it a lovely and unique flavor. So delicious!
Yay! So glad you loved it—especially the rose water-infused cream cheese frosting!! Thanks, Adrienne!
My daughter made this cake. No idea why the center wasnt done all the way. So she cut all around the unfinished part and frosted what was done. Oh my gosh. Amazing! Will try this again myself. Love the rose water in the frosting!
So happy you loved how it turned out, Michele! It sounds like the cake just needed a few more minutes. Next time, she can bake until the cake is cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Hope that helps!
Yes. She said she did that! Uh oh. Going to try again today (guests coming tomorrow). Wish me luck
Hmm, that’s strange. Next time, I would check a couple of spots in the middle with a toothpick just to be sure. Good luck!
Loved this cake! Adding to my regular rotation. So moist and the rose and pistachio flavors come together so well!
Yay, so happy to hear you loved it!! Thank you!
I made this a few days ago, and it turned out so good! It was super moist, had a nice hint of green color, and totally worth the effort of removing those pistachio skins haha! I did half with the cream cheese frosting, but made a rose water glaze for the other half for my son. I plan on making it again for Easter!
Ooh, your rose water glaze sounds so good!! I will have to try that myself. So glad you liked the cake, Sarah! Thanks!!
Where do I begin? WOW! The color on this cake was beautiful. The hint of olive oil and not too sweet with the frosting. I plan on making this for special occasions because it is a beautiful cake. Thank you, Yumna, for sharing easy-to-follow recipes.
Aww thank you so much, Sheila!! So happy you loved the cake and found the recipe easy to follow!
Oh my goodness, I think pistachio is my new favorite flavor! They are expensive, but so so worth it for this plush, nutty goodness. I am keeping this recipe in my back pocket for when I need to impress someone 🙂
Yay!! Aww, so glad you love it! It’s definitely impressive; especially if you top with rose petals! Thanks, Adelaide!!
This recipe was delish! I made this cake to bring to Iftar at my mother in laws. I was proud to show off my cake, it turned out beautiful! Thank you for creating and sharing.
Aww, that makes me so happy!! Thank you so much, Erica! Glad it was a hit at Iftar. Ramadan Mubarek!
That looks delicious, and I can’t wait to make this. Love all your recipes.
Thank you, Joyce! Can’t wait to hear how your cake turns out!!
Looks amazing, can’t wait to try it! I am not a big fan of cream cheese though, do you think a Natef topping instead would work?
Oh I’ve actually never tried Natef before but I think it would work out very well since it goes well with pistachio desserts!
Thank you Yumna, I will let you know how it goes!
Lara, I also don’t love cream cheese frosting, but I ended up loving it with this cake!
Thanks Claire!
I made this for my dad who loves pistachios and he loved it! It tasted SO good 🙂
Aww, so happy he loved it! That’s amazing!! Thanks so much, Madeline!
Can this be prepared in advance? How sturdy/soft is the crumb? I am wondering if I can make a two-layer cake using 6-inch rounds.
Hi there! Yes, it can be made in advance. It will last about 3 days at room temp (without frosting) and up to a week in the fridge. Or, you could wrap the cake rounds in plastic and freeze them up to 2 months. And yes, two 6-inch rounds should work but the bake time will likely be less. Very moist crumb and it’s sturdy but I haven’t tried stacking it yet. I think it would hold up well to a layer cake though! Please let me know how it turns out for you!
Can’t wait to try it! Your recipes are always amazing 😻
Yay, I hope you love it!! Thanks, Omnia!
This cake is a labor of love, but it is amazing!!!! The pistachio butter took the most amount of time to cook, but after that was done, the cake itself came together easily. I brought it to a potluck and it was devoured! Highly recommend and will be making this again—amazing, light crumb on the cake, and just the perfect balance of sweetness.
That’s awesome!! Aww, I’m so glad it was a hit at your potluck! Thank you so much, Huma!!
I love pistachio and rose water, your recipes are always great. Thank you
Oh you’ll love this cake, then! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it!!
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Ellen! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!!