Lemon Pistachio Cake
This soft and fluffy Lemon Pistachio Cake is a simple single layer cake with a tender pistachio sponge made with olive oil and topped with a dreamy whipped lemon cream cheese frosting. This cake is full of flavor and I like to make it all year round since it is light and fresh for Spring and Summer, and then also festive with pistachios during the holidays and makes use of lemons when they are in season in late winter. The frosting is so airy and unlike your usual cream cheese frosting. I think you will love this recipe and if you enjoy making fruity sheet cakes, check out my Strawberry Lemon Cake and Lemon Raspberry Sheet Cake too. I also love this Pistachio Carrot Cake for Easter, and if you love baking with pistachios, make my very popular Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Soft and moist pistachio cake - this recipe makes a tender cake with a bouncy, moist crumb texture.
- Easy to make - I love single layer sheet cakes because they are fuss-free and it means less dishes!
- Fragrant lemon cake - lemon zest adds a lot of flavor to this cake and pairs really well with pistachio.
- Olive oil cake - I use olive oil which is SO good here since it pairs with pistachios and lemon so well. You can use any oil though.
- Cream cheese frosting - this is one of my favorite ways to make frosting. There is NO butter! It's just a combination of cream cheese and whipping cream and it's like a more flavorful, thicker whipped cream. It is luscious!
INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON PISTACHIO CAKE
Here are some on the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for fluffy spongy cake. You could use cake flour, but if you use bleached flour (a lot of cake flour is bleached) then it tends to absorb more water and might give the cake a drier texture.
- Oil - liquid oil will keep this cake soft and helps with movement of leavening gases through the batter for a nice even rise to create a flat cake. I use olive oil because it tastes so delicious with pistachios and lemon, however you can use any neutral-tasting cooking oil. I recommend sunflower for the cleanest taste.
- Pistachios - the lovely green color of this cake is naturally coming from the pistachios and a bit of matcha powder. For the most flavor, I like to roast the pistachios before grinding them. These roasted salted pistachios are convenient.
- Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps this cake moist and doesn't interfere with the lemon flavor.
- Egg - one large egg will add nice structure but won't get in the way of the pistachio flavor.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will elevate and complement the lemon taste. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Almond extract - this is optional, but almond will enhance the taste of the pistachios.
- Yogurt - use full fat plain yogurt to add tanginess to this recipe and complement the fruity notes.
- Matcha powder - this is optional, if you have it or want to try it, but it will really enhance the green color and it also adds a nice earthy taste that complements the pistachios.
- Lemon zest - the zest from one lemon is enough to give this cake a nice citrus note. If you like more lemon, just use more! You can use up to a tablespoon of lemon zest.
- Milk - any type of milk will do. I prefer whole milk for baking.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE LEMON PISTACHIO CAKE
- STEP 1). Infuse the sugar. Add sugar to a large bowl with the lemon zest and rub it together with your fingers or using the back of a large spoon until the sugar is fragrant and takes on a hint of yellow. This helps to release more essential oils from the zest.
- STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl with the lemony sugar and whisk it to blend evenly. Add the ground pistachios.
- STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Whisk together eggs, oil, yogurt, vanilla and milk in a medium bowl.
- STEP 4). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Whisk gently to combine the ingredients until mostly combined.
- STEP 5). Bake. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until evenly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. It should spring back when you press it gently. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to the rack to finish cooling.
- STEP 6). Make the frosting. Beat soft cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of cream and beat until very smooth and there are no lumps. Then gradually add remaining cream and beat until it forms soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar until it is thickened to a spreadable consistency, then mix in lemon juice and vanilla extract. You can also add a drop or two of almond extract (it's delicious, but optional). Spread frosting over cooled cake and then top with crushed pistachios before serving.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR LEMON PISTACHIO CAKE
- Infuse the sugar with lemon flavor. To get the most out of your lemons, rub the sugar with the lemon zest first before mixing with the liquid ingredients. The friction will release the essential oils in the yellow zest and they will coat sugar crystals to carry all of that wonderful flavor through the batter!
- Use room temperature ingredients. Since this is a simple dump and mix (almost one bowl) method, there is minimal mixing steps involved so it is important to have all ingredients at the same temperature (not cold!) in order to help them blend evenly together.
- Roast the pistachios. If you only have raw pistachios, definitely roast them to bring out the flavor. Just place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat until they begin to darken and become fragrant.
- Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the batter.
- Do not over-mix the batter. Once the flour is combined then the batter is ready for baking. You can use a whisk and mix by hand if you are concerned about over-mixing.
RECIPE FAQ
I highly recommend using oil for this recipe because the oil will give it a softer texture in the presence of all the nuts which have a tendency to firm up the crumb.
Yes, you can use any type of cooking oil, such as canola oil, olive oil or sunflower oil. You can also use coconut oil, but it has a much higher melting fat profile so it will make the crumb more crumbly and less soft.
If your cake turns out dense, then it could be a couple of things: you over-mixed the batter, or your raising agents are not active. Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda. Also, be very gentle with mixing and stop once the flour is just incorporated.
Too much flour and not enough sugar is the main reason why cake can turn out dry and dense. It is important to have the right proportions of liquid to dry ingredients in a one bowl cake recipe.
I really recommend using plain yogurt for this recipe (2-5% fat) because it gives the perfect amount of fat and acidity, however you can make this cake with Greek yogurt or sour cream. The texture will just be slightly firmer from the higher protein content.
Yes, you can make this in an 8 or 9-inch round pan. If you use an 8-inch pan, you will need to add at least 5 minutes to the baking time.
If you love cake and fruit, check out these recipes!
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Video
Lemon Pistachio Cake
Ingredients
Pistachio Cake Batter:
- 1 cup (142g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder (optional)
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (40g) finely ground roasted salted pistachios, plus extra for decorating
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil (or any neutral liquid oil like canola, vegetable or sunflower oil)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) full fat plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp pure almond extract
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup (125g) very soft cream cheese
- ⅔ cup (160ml) 35% heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoon (40g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the cake batter. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, matcha powder (if you have it) and salt into a large bowl. Add sugar and ground pistachios and whisk until evenly blended. NOTE: you can grind the pistachios in a small food processor - I suggest grinding about ½ cup of whole roasted pistachios and use the extra for decorating.
- Combine oil, egg, yogurt, lemon zest, milk, vanilla and almond extract (if you're using it) in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and gently fold it all together being sure to get down to the bottom and bring up any dry pockets. Stop right when the batter is fully combined and be careful not to over mix.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan and then transfer cake to a cooling rack.
- Make the frosting. Whip soft cream cheese in a medium bowl using an electric handheld mixer until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of cream and mix until very smooth and there are no lumps. Then gradually add remaining cream and mix until it forms soft peaks. Gradually mix in sugar until it is whipped and thickened to a spreadable consistency, then mix in lemon juice and vanilla extract. You can also add a drop or two of almond extract (it's delicious, but optional). Use an offset spatula to spread frosting over cooled cake and then top with crushed pistachios before serving.
This cake is amazing. I love the subtle flavors, and it’s just sweet enough without making you feel like you at a bucket of sugar. I love lemon desserts so I added a tiny bit more zest and juice. Definitely making this again!
Thanks so much Jill! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.
This was absolutely delicious, light and fluffy! I quadrupled the recipe to bring to church and glad I did! Everyone, even the tougher hard to please young ones’ palettes, loved it and asked to make it again next week. It was gone in 60 seconds. I loved that it was easy to make. A sure crowd pleaser!
Wow, thanks so much Cherr!
I just made this cake for a friend’s birthday and it was amazing! I really wanted to punch up the flavour so I added double the ground pistachios (and omitted the matcha) and probably 2 Tbsp of lemon rind (what can I say - I love lemon)! It turned out beautifully! I had some doubts about the frosting when I read the recipe, but I trusted it and made exactly as written and it really is a gorgeous thing somewhere between a cream cheese frosting and whipped cream, and the perfect amount of sweetness and so complimentary to the cake. Will definitely make again!
Thank you so much Marlo! Isn't the frosting interesting? I love it so much - it's so light and airy!
This recipe was surprisingly easy and turned out so delicious!! Will make again 💚
Thanks so much Nicole.
I'm confused with the amounts.. like is 1 cup 142g all purpose flour 1 cup and 142g or is 1 cup 142g ? 😅
Hi Alexandra, 1 cup = 142g flour.
Ahh nice ok. So it’s the cup and the metric measurements next to each other. Thank you for clarifying 😇
Fabulous recipe! I’ve made it twice now and both times were a total success.
Can I use salted pistachios if I eliminate the added salt in the recipe?
I used salted pistachios, *and* a slightly heaping 1/4 tsp of Morton’s kosher salt and it came out delicious. Huge crowd pleaser. I don’t think the salt on the pistachios does much to make the overall recipe salty, in my opinion.
Hi Georgia, thank you! And good call on the extra salt 😉
Hi, Is it possible to use less sugar?? I'm really not a fan of sweet desserts. Ideally would like instead of 3/4 cup to less than 1/2 cup. Also could I use brown sugar instead?
Hi Nick, you can use brown sugar, but if you reduce the quantity it will affect the texture of the cake. It will not be as soft and moist. You can certainly try if you wish to.
I've read that you can reduce sugar in cakes by 20% without damaging texture. After that you will impact texture. I've experimented with this a lot and find it's true. Some websites where I know the recipe author tends to write very sweet recipes I reduce by 25%. I would not do it on a very delicate cake, but having just made this one, I"d say reducing by 20% would work. So using 120 grams instead of 150 grams. If you want it even less sweet you may have to sacrifice texture. I really do not like super sweet things and I almost always reduce, but I made this one as written and it was not overpoweringly sweet. The texture was lovely and not sickly sweet when made as written;
Thank you so much Nicole. I love how you experimented so precisely.
Turned out exactly as the recipe described and was absolutely delicious! I’ll definitely make it again and have already passed on the recipe link to two friends. So simple and a real treat!
Thanks so much Kay!
Made this yesterday and it was a huge hit. Very flavorful, moist & great texture. I subbed in monkfruit for sugar and you’d never know it.
I rarely bake but this was fairly easy and I’ll definitely make it again.
You didn’t said the temperature for baking.
Yes it's in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Hello, Christina! Thank you for this recipe. My kitchen has a beautiful aroma. I read about waiting to dust the top with pistachios just before serving and a question popped in my mind. Since cake won’t be served until tomorrow, should I wait to frost? I just wondered about the frosting and refrigeration.
Hi Dawn! Thank you. You can frost it and refrigerate overnight. It holds up well.
I’ve been looking for a pistachio cake recipe and I’m excited to try this recipe! Do you think you could substitute almond milk?
Hi Maddie, yes I think it would work!
What would your thoughts be on doubling the recipe to make a 2-layer cake? Would it work or do you think the cake is too wet/heavy? Haven’t made it yet but excited to try this weekend!!
Hi Katherine! I think it would work great!
Did it work? I was hoping to do the same this weekend!
Thanks for the recipe! Has anyone tried in a loaf pan? How much rise does it get?
Wondering the same thing!
This was a hit with the crowd! Definitely going to make this again
Thank you Jenny!
Hi so excited to try this recipe! Do you have a video where you make the frosting? I would love to see that as well, that's the part that always confuses me!
Can this cake be made ahead of time? Aldo I’m guessing best to store it in the fridge because of the frosting? Thank you
Yes and Yes! You can make it a day in advance.
I want to make this recipe, but have a question regarding # of grams of flour. I use King Arthur all purpose flour & 1 cup is 120 grams. Should I use 120 grams or 142?
Thank you!
Hi Robin, yes 1 cup = 142g for most unbleached all-purpose flours.
I’d like to use Greek yogurt instead of regular. Do you think the higher protein will affect anything?
Hi Lindsay, It might affect the texture slightly, but it will still work.