Pistachio Cake

4.6
(328)
259 Reviews
76 Photos

This pistachio cake is as easy as it is tasty. A delightful green Bundt cake made by enhancing a cake mix and pudding with homemade pistachio butter. It's topped with a sweet and creamy glaze for a delicious dessert.

Submitted by Marcia
Updated on January 4, 2024
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Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
50 mins
Additional Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 25 mins
Servings:
14
Yield:
1 (10-inch) Bundt cake
Jump to Nutrition Facts

This pistachio cake is moist, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make with convenient ingredients (like pudding and cake mixes). 

Pistachio Cake Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this pistachio cake recipe: 

  • For the cake: cooking oil or spray, all-purpose flour, unsalted pistachios or pistachio butter, white cake mix, instant pistachio pudding mix, water, eggs, vegetable oil, green food coloring, and (optional) pistachio extract
  • For the glaze: confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and (optional) chopped pistachios

How to Make Pistachio Cake

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade pistachio pudding cake: 

  1. Make the pistachio butter (if you aren’t using jarred pistachio butter). 
  2. Whisk the cake and pudding mixes together, then create a well in the middle. 
  3. Add the remaining cake ingredients to the well and whisk until combined. 
  4. Bake until the cake springs back when pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Make the glaze, then spoon it over the cooled cake. Garnish with chopped pistachios.  

Test Kitchen Tips

This top-rated user recipe was tested in our test kitchen. Here are some tips from recipe tester Amanda Holstein:

  • You can use a blender to make the pistachio butter, but you need a tamper (a tool that allows you to push ingredients down into the vortex to achieve a smooth consistency).
  • You can use a baking spray with flour instead of greasing and flouring the pan.
  • Pistachio butter can be made at least a week in advance, stored in an airtight container
  • Add in chopped pistachios for extra texture and flavor.
  • Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
  • Add some cardamom to the cake mix, if you like. The citrusy flavors perfectly complement the pistachios. 

How to Store Pistachio Cake

Store the pistachio cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“This is identical to my husband's grandmother's cake recipe that she made for every birthday,” says Mom On Fire. “We skip the food dye — the cake is plenty green! We add a bittersweet chocolate frosting and it's HEAVEN.”

“I also use this as my base recipe and have used it to make chocolate chip fudge cake and strawberry chocolate cake,” according to Chris Porter. “They are all AWESOME.“

“Excellent cake,” raves sueannmc41. “I have made this multiple times and it is always a hit. I frost it with cream cheese frosting for special occasions. Recently, my husband had to go gluten-free and I made this with a gluten-free cake mix. It turned out great.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 14 servings

Pistachio Cake:

  • cooking spray or oil for greasing

  • all purpose flour, for dusting pan

  • 3/4 cup unsalted pistachios, toasted or 1/3 cup pistachio butter

  • 1 (15.25 ounce) package white cake mix

  • 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix

  • 1 ½ cups water

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 to 4 drops green food coloring

  • 1/2 teaspoon pistachio extract (Optional)

Glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • chopped pistachios for garnish (Optional)

Directions

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.

  2. Process pistachios in a food processor until nuts become smooth and creamy, 7 to 10 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Set aside.

  3. Whisk cake mix and pudding mix together in a large bowl, create a well in the center.

  4. Add water, eggs, oil, processed pistachios, green food coloring, and pistachio extract into center of well. Whisk together until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

  5. Bake in the preheated oven until cake springs back when lightly pressed, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.

  6. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

  7. To make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until fully combined.

  8. Spoon glaze evenly over cooled cake, garnish with chopped pistachios, slice and serve.

From the Editor

This recipe was tested in our test kitchen in November 2023 and updated to include pistachio butter and pistachio extract instead of almond extract.

492 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

242 Calories
10g Fat
35g Carbs
3g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 14
Calories 242
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 361mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 3g 7%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 50mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.