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This easy and delicious Pistachio Cake recipe is simple to prepare (seriously, no baking experience is needed!) and turns out so moist, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. Ideal for the pistachio lover and those who enjoy almond flavor too.
I mentioned this when I shared my Pistachio Butter Cookies, but your girl is helplessly devoted to everyone’s favorite little nut.
Made grain-free with almond flour, dairy-free and refined sugar-free, I find it to be the perfect treat for everyday enjoyment. I also love the boost of protein and fiber the nuts bring!
You can dress it up with a cream cheese frosting recipe, whipped cream frosting, vanilla buttercream, or make a simple glaze with powdered sugar if you’re looking for sweeter fare.
Or, enjoy it as is for a low-sugar sweet treat!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Easy: Zero baking experience and zero fancy equipment is required! You don’t need a stand mixer or a lot of skill. Just mixing bowls, a food processor, and a bread loaf pan.
- Allergy-Friendly: As long as you aren’t allergic to nuts, this bread is perfect for those with food allergies or sensitivities. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, and I make it sugar-free.
- Moist and Fluffy: My recipe has the loveliest fluffy texture with moist crumbs, and the perfect level of sweetness!
- Versatile: Serve it for breakfast, enjoy it as a snack, or dress it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Ingredient Notes:
Raw Unsalted Pistachios: The star of the show in this easy pistachio cake recipe! Raw pistachios get blended up into a pistachio flour to serve as part of the base of the cake. The nuts generate a light and fluffy texture and provide a hint of pistachio flavor.
Almond Flour: Because the pistachios tend to be a little coarse, adding almond flour helps lighten the cake, ensuring it is nice and fluffy.
Tapioca Flour: A starchy flour like tapioca flour helps the batter rise to its full potential for the absolute best texture. You can also use gluten-free all-purpose flour, regular all-purpose flour or ¼ cup of coconut flour.
Eggs: In order to achieve that fluffy texture I’ve been talking about, some extra eggs are needed. I use a whopping 4 eggs, which help the batter rise.
Avocado Oil: Fat brings flavor and moisture, which is the whole purpose of the avocado oil. It creates a moist cake and even comes with some omega-3 fatty acids. The healthy fats in this cake are real! Olive oil or melted butter works too.
Granulated Sugar: Pick your favorite granulated sweetener. I recommend using white sugar, brown sugar, or your favorite sugar-free sweetener that can be used as a 1:1 replacement for cane sugar. I use allulose, which is sugar-free, for a lower carbohydrate cake.
Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla brings that warm essence we all love.
Almond Extract: As odd as it sounds, almond extract is what signals to our brain that we’re enjoying an almond treat.
Baking Powder: The leavening agent, which helps the cake batter rise and bake evenly.
Sea Salt: Salt enhances the nutty flavors and the sweetness of the cake. Don’t skip it.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Mix in ½ cup to ⅔ cup of chocolate chips for little pockets of melted chocolate bliss.
- Add ⅔ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty crunch.
- Frost the cake using your favorite frosting for a decadent approach.
- If you have pistachio extract https://amzn.to/4v9kyrj on hand, feel free to add in 1 teaspoon.
- Because I use real pistachios and no food coloring, the cake doesn’t have a vibrant green color. If you prefer a significant green hue, add a couple of drops of green food coloring.
- Bake it in a 8-inch cake pan for 35-45 minutes instead. Or, double the recipe and make a layer 8-inch cake.
Now that the key ingredients are covered, let’s make the best pistachio cake!
How to Make Pistachio Cake:
Preheat the oven to 330 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
Place the pistachios in a food processor.
Blend the pistachios in a food processor until they are chopped into fine pieces and resemble close to the same coarseness as almond flour.
Transfer the almond flour, ground pistachios, tapioca flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and sea salt to a large mixing bowl and stir everything together until any lumps are out and the dry ingredients are well combined.
Whisk together the eggs, avocado oil, vanilla extract and almond extract in a separate large bowl until the wet ingredients are well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well until a smooth cake batter forms.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. If you’d like, sprinkle the top of the cake batter with chopped pistachios. Cover the bread pan with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack of the oven for 60 minutes.
Remove the foil and insert a digital thermometer into the center of the cake. If the temperature reads 190 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, it is ready. If the cake needs more time, place it back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes, until it is fully baked.
Let the cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Serve thick slices with butter, a drizzle of honey, and/or a drizzle of pistachio butter or pistachio cream.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and keep on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Transfer the cake to an airtight container or a large zip lock bag and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Cut the remaining loaf into individual slices. Wrap in butcher paper or parchment paper and freeze in a large zip lock bag or a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating Instructions: To reheat a piece of cake from frozen, place a slice on a plate and microwave for 25 to 30 seconds, or until warm.
Enjoy this gluten-free pistachio cake the next time the craving for something nutty strikes! I love the idea of serving it for breakfast alongside a protein source like yogurt or cottage cheese.
If you enjoy baking homemade cakes, also try some of my other favorites!
More Cake Recipes:
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake
- Almond Flour Vanilla Cake
- Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Cake
- Zucchini Chocolate Cake
- Almond Flour Lemon Cake
- Black Bean Chocolate Cake
Pistachio lovers unite!
Pistachio Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar, *
- 1 ½ baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 330 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Blend the pistachios in a food processor until they are chopped into fine pieces and resemble close to the same coarseness as almond flour.
- Transfer the almond flour, ground pistachios, tapioca flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and sea salt to a large mixing bowl and stir everything together until any lumps are out and the dry ingredients are well combined.
- Whisk together the eggs, avocado oil, vanilla extract and almond extract in a separate large bowl until the wet ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well until a smooth cake batter forms.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. If you’d like, sprinkle the top of the cake batter with chopped pistachios. Cover the bread pan with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack of the oven for 60 minutes.
- Remove the foil and insert a digital thermometer into the center of the cake. If the temperature reads 190 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, it is ready. If the cake needs more time, place it back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes, until it is fully baked.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
- Serve thick slices with butter, a drizzle of honey, and/or a drizzle of pistachio butter.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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