If you’re looking for an easy pistachio cake recipe, look no further! This cake is made with just 6 simple ingredients. It’s super flavorful and very moist! Truly one of the best pistachio pudding cake recipes that’s foolproof, and easy to make.
As much as we love a homemade cake recipe, it’s also fun to spruce up a box of cake mix and make an easy and absolutely delicious cake! This cake recipe has been one of our family favorites for years. It was passed down to us and has been made over and over again.
If you’re in a pinch and need an easy dessert recipe that will impress your guests, we highly recommend this cake.
Make this semi-homemade cake in a bundt pan, as a layer cake, or as a pistachio sheet cake. We top it with an instant pistachio pudding mix frosting and real pistachios.
Also, try our pistachio muffins too!
Why You’ll Love This Cake
Table of Contents
- It has a sweet, nutty flavor of pistachios. These super nuts aren’t just healthy, they also make a delicious addition to cakes and other desserts.
- There’s no denying that boxed cakes are always super moist. When you add your own twist to them, they taste homemade, and anyone can make them. No baking experience is required!
- It’s the perfect cake for many occasions and can be served year-round.
Keep reading for the best way to spruce up a yellow cake mix and everything you need to know to make a pistachio cake!
Ingredients in a Pistachio Cake
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make this cake. If you prefer to jump to the recipe, scroll to the bottom of the post, where you’ll find the measurements.
The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
Yellow Box Cake Mix – A classic yellow boxed cake is perfect for this recipe. One great thing about a boxed cake is that it’s hard to mess it up! It makes this a really moist pistachio cake.
Pistachio Pudding Mix – This is a boxed pudding that gives the cake the pistachio flavoring. It also provides the cake with a green color.
Soda Water – This acts as a leavening agent in this cake recipe. It helps the cake rise, even more, and adds moisture.
Eggs – Use large eggs when making this recipe. The eggs add structure and moisture to the recipe.
Vegetable Oil – This is what makes the cake super moist and fluffy. You can use vegetable oil or canola oil.
Almond Extract – Gives the cake a delicious nutty flavor and enhances the other flavors in the recipe too.
How to Make This Cake
Kitchen Tools
Before you start baking, here are some of the kitchen tools you’ll need:
- Electric Mixer – We use our Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
Add the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
In a liquid measuring cup add all of the liquid ingredients.
Then, with an electric mixer and paddle attachment, mix the ingredients on low speed.
Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Spray a bundt pan or sheet pan with nonstick spray or butter.
Pour batter into the pan and bake.
Let the cake cool before frosting.
Tips and Variations
- Boxed vanilla cake, white cake, or yellow cake mixes can all be used for this recipe. We prefer yellow cake mix.
- Use instant pudding for this recipe.
- No need to add extra food coloring. The coloring comes from the pistachio pudding.
- Make this cake in a bunt pan, sheet pan, or two 8×8 round pans. If you’re going to top it with powdered sugar, a bundt pan looks the prettiest. For an easy cake with a layer of fluffy frosting, we like a sheet pan and for a layered cake, cream cheese frosting looks beautiful.
- Make this cake organic by using an organic boxed cake and all organic ingredients. The only ingredient that won’t be organic is the pistachio pudding mix.
- If you don’t have almond extract, try using vanilla extract instead.
5 Ways to Tell When a Cake is Done
Now that you’re baking your cake, how do you know when it’s done and ready to eat? Look for these signs:
- The cake pulls away at the sides of the pan.
- It smells fragrant.
- The top turns golden brown.
- The toothpick or knife test is when you stick a toothpick or knife in the cake and if there are still crumbs, it needs to be bake for longer.
- Press on the cake and see if it springs back.
How To Store
Store this pistachio cake in an airtight container.
It can be stored covered at room temperature for up to three days.
You can also refrigerate the cake for 5 days.
How to Freeze
Freeze the pistachio cake for up to 1 month by wrapping up individual slices and storing them in the freezer.
Remember that if you make a pistachio bundt cake with whipped cream frosting, you must make sure that we make the frosting with heavy cream, especially if we plan to freeze our pistachio cake.
It’s best to freeze the cake unfrosted and then add the frosting when you’re ready to serve. However, sometimes you’re freezing leftovers so you will need to freeze with the frosting.
Do defrost, let the cake sit in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a few hours.
Pistachio Cake Toppings
There are several toppings you can add to pistachio cake! Here are a few of our favorites:
Powdered Sugar – Skip the frosting and dust the bundt cake with a layer of powdered sugar. It looks so pretty!
Whipped Cream – The light and fluffy texture of whipped cream goes great with this cake. It’s less sweet than frosting and pairs perfectly.
Cream Cheese Frosting – This rich and creamy frosting goes wonderfully with this cake. The cream cheese is a nice touch to the pistachio flavoring.
Pistachio Pudding Frosting – We added a small amount of this frosting to the top of the cake. The color is really pretty and it adds more pistachio flavor.
Maraschino Cherries – If you’re making this for Christmas, these cherries will add beautiful red color to the cake.
Ground Pistachios – No matter what frosting you use, add some ground pistachios over the top for a festive look.
When to Serve
This easy dessert recipe is perfect for many occasions and can be served year-round. The green color and nutty flavor make this cake perfect for these special occasions:
Baby and Bridal Showers
Frequently Asked Questions
The difference between a bundt cake and other types of cakes has much less to do with the ingredients and more to do with the shape of the pan itself. In other words, the cakes made in bundt cake pans must be moist because of the unique doughnut shape of the pan.
The shape of the pan causes a slice of bundt cake to have a more well-done texture on the outside, with a more soft and light inside.
In the event we are in the middle of baking and realize that we’re out of baking soda, then we know that we have no need to rush to the grocery store. Instead, we use club soda as a leavening agent when we bake a cake recipe.
Almond extract enhances pistachio flavors in cake recipes. We also like to use vanilla extract to enhance the nutty flavors in pistachio cake recipes.
What Flavors Go Well With Pistachio?
Citrus flavors like orange and lemon go well with pistachio flavors.
Likewise, cranberries and other tart berry flavors go well with pistachio flavors, like in our delicious and festive biscotti recipe with cranberry and pistachios.
Can You Bake Pistachio Pudding Cake in a Different Kind of Pan?
Yes, you can! When making this pistachio pudding cake, you have the choice to use either a regular cake pan or a bundt cake pan. Whatever you choose, remember to tweak the recipe to accommodate which type of pan as cooking times will vary.
What Else Can You Put In Pistachio Pudding Cake?
Along with cranberries, white chocolate chips also go well with this cake.
Chopped maraschino cherries also work well and are a great addition to a Christmas cake.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoy this cake, try more of our favorite cake recipes!
- Chocolate Ganache Bundt Cake
- Neapolitan Cake Recipe
- Ice Cream Sundae Cake
- The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Classic Yellow Birthday Cake
- Lavender Cake
Let us know what you think!
Let us know if you make this pistachio cake recipe, and leave a comment and review below!
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Easy Pistachio Cake
Ingredients
Pistachio Cake Recipe
- 1 boxed cake, yellow
- 1 box pistachio pudding, instant, Jello brand works. 3.4 ounces.
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup club soda
- 1 tsp almond extract
Pistachio Pudding Frosting
- 1 box pistachio pudding, 3.4 ounces
- 8 ounces heavy cream
- 8 ounces milk
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Add the liquid ingredients and mix
- Grease a bundt pan or a cake pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Pour the batter in a bundt pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
- Let the cake cool before turning it over onto a cake platter.
Pistachio Pudding
- Add the ingredients into a mixer and mix on high until light and fluffy.
Notes
- Boxed vanilla cake, white cake, or yellow cake mixes can all be used for this recipe. We prefer yellow cake mix.
- Use instant pudding for this recipe.
- No need to add extra food coloring. The coloring comes from the pistachio pudding.
- Make this cake in a bunt pan, sheet pan, or two 8×8 round pans. If you’re going to do powdered sugar dusting a bundt pan looks the prettiest. For an easy cake with a layer of fluffy frosting, we like a sheet pan and for a layered cake, cream cheese frosting looks beautiful.
- Make this cake organic by using an organic boxed cake and all organic ingredients. The only ingredient that won’t be organic is the pistachio pudding mix.
Nutrition
Beautiful cake! What is the magenta-colored topping you added to the pistachios?
So, so good! And easy too. I loved the flavor and texture. And I have to say your cake decorating skills are on point!
This cake looks amazing! I love pistachio flavored anything, so I definitely want to give this a try. Also, the way you decorated the cake is beautiful!! What flowers did you use?
This pistachio cake was super easy to make and it was a huge hit at our teacher appreciation luncheon. I even had a few requests for the recipe! Can’t wait to make it again for my own family.