Pistachio Cake Recipe

Using good-quality pistachio oil in an olive oil cake recipe makes for a quick and easy cake that's brimming with pistachio aroma and flavor.

By
Stella Parks
Stella Parks
Stella Parks
Editor Emeritus
Stella Parks is a CIA-trained baking nerd and pastry wizard, dubbed one of America's Best New Pastry Chefs by Food & Wine. She was the pastry editor at Serious Eats from 2016 to 2019.
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Updated March 11, 2021
20190524-pistachio-oil-cake-vicky-wasik-5
Photograph: Vicky Wasik.

Why It Works

  • High-quality roasted pistachio oil ensures a cake that is rich, flavorful, and moist.
  • The thick texture of buttermilk provides structure to the batter, for a cake that's tangy and light.
  • The subtle aroma of orange zest and orange flower water amplify the inherent aromas of the pistachio oil, without making the cake seem citrusy at all.

While this cake comes together in just a few minutes, making it one of the fastest and easiest recipes around, it does require one very special ingredient: roasted pistachio oil. It's the sole source of flavor and aroma for the cake, so use the best you can find. The result will be a cake that's moist and flavorful enough to stand on its own with nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar, but a frosting of homemade pistachio cream will take the pistachio confection to the next level.

Recipe Details

Pistachio Cake Recipe

Active About 5 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 8 to 12 servings
Makes 1 cake

Ingredients

  • 5 1/4 ounces white sugar (about 3/4 cup; 150g), plain or lightly toasted

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

  • 5 1/4 ounces best-quality roasted pistachio oil (about 3/4 cup; 150g), such as La Tourangelle

  • 4 ounces cultured low-fat buttermilk or kefir (about 1/2 cup; 110g); see our explainer on buttermilk substitutes for more information

  • 1 large egg (about 1 3/4 ounces; 50g), straight from the fridge

  • 1/2 teaspoon orange flower water

  • 5 3/4 ounces (165g) cake flour, any style (see note)

  • Optional garnishes: powdered sugar, preferably organic (see our explainer on organic powdered sugar for more information); homemade pistachio cream; or toasted pistachios

Directions

  1. Getting Ready: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8- by 3-inch anodized aluminum cake pan with parchment (see our explanation and tutorial on how to cut a parchment round) and grease lightly with pan spray.

  2. For the Cake: Whisk sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl for about 1 minute. This dry mixture will look homogeneous well before it truly is, so use patience at this stage and whisk longer than may seem necessary. Under-mixing at this stage can produce dark spots or an uneven texture in the cake.

  3. Add orange zest, roasted pistachio oil, buttermilk, egg, and orange flower water and whisk vigorously until batter looks smooth and well emulsified. Sift in cake flour and whisk just until well combined. Scrape into prepared pan. Bake until cake is firm but your finger can still leave an impression in the puffy crust, about 33 minutes. (A toothpick inserted into the center should come away with a few crumbs still attached.)

  4. Cool cake directly in pan about 10 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen. Invert onto a wire rack, peel off parchment, and place cake right side up on a serving platter or cake stand. Cool to room temperature, and top with homemade pistachio cream and lightly toasted pistachios to taste.

Special Equipment

Whisk, 8- by 3-inch anodized aluminum cake pan, wire rack

Notes

Both bleached and unbleached cake flour styles will work nicely in this recipe. Bleached styles will improve the cake's rise and create a more tender crumb (as shown here), while unbleached styles will produce a heartier, more rustic texture akin to that of a quick bread.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Wrapped tightly in plastic, the unfrosted cake will keep for 2 or 3 days at cool room temperature.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
190Calories
7gFat
27gCarbs
5gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories190
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g10%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 16mg5%
Sodium 184mg8%
Total Carbohydrate 27g10%
Dietary Fiber 2g5%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 1mg3%
Calcium 41mg3%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 162mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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