Pistachio Pound Cake
This Pistachio Pound Cake has a moist and tender crumb with a nutty-buttery flavor. The cake is topped with vanilla scented glaze and crunchy, toasty nuts.
Table of contents
Why this is the best Pistachio Pound Cake Recipe
I spent months testing cake batter mixing methods and ingredients to create a perfectly balanced pound cake recipe.
I used my classic Pound Cake as the starting point for this recipe. I knew I wanted great pistachio flavor in the cake so I started by replacing half the flour with ground pistachios.
Eliminating half the flour in the recipe compromised the structure. The cake baked up with a gooey and dense crumb.
There is a lot of science behind creating a balanced cake recipe which I won’t go into here. You can learn more about how each ingredient works to either create structure or tenderize the cake in this series of articles.
It took 6 rounds of testing to make a cake with a proper structure and good pistachio flavor. To get there I had to increase the flour and reduce the nuts, use a little less butter and add only whole eggs instead of eggs and yolks.
The final result is a cake with great pistachio flavor and a soft yet properly dense pound cake texture.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cake Flour – Low protein cake flour makes a cake with a tender crumb and the crust browns less in the oven.
- Pistachios – Use raw (untoasted) pistachios. Raw pistachios have a lovely light-green color and softish texture the grinds nicely into a powder.
- Butter – Use room temperature unsalted butter. Room temperature butter is cool but pliable (about 70F). The butter should not be soft and melty. If you use salted butter eliminate the salt listed in the recipe.
- Eggs – Use large, room temperature eggs.
The Process
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Grind the pistachios with 1/4 cup of the flour in a food processor. Grind until the nuts form a fine powder. It’s ok if there are a few larger bits mixed in.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix on low speed to distribute the salt and baking powder.
- Add room temperature butter and mix to combine.
- Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes to lighten and aerate the batter.
- Add the eggs in 3 batches, scrape the bowl and beater after each addition.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and mix to ensure there are no lumps of unmixed batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
- Spread the batter to an even layer and use the tip of the spatula to make a groove down the center of the cake.
- While the cake is baking, toast the pistachios and make the glaze.
- Roughly chop the pistachios for the topping.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10-15 minutes then turn it out onto a cooling rack set over a clean sheet pan.
- While the cake is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the cake.
- Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the wet glaze.
- Let the cake cool completely before transferring to a serving plate. The glaze will set as the cake cools.
Storage
Pistachio Pound Cake will keep, covered, at room temperature for 4-5 days. Individual slices or the whole cake can be frozen for up to 2 months.
More Pistachio Recipes
More Pound Cake Recipes
Pistachio Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 5 large eggs (room temp)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ oz raw pistachios (½ cup)
- 6 ¾ oz cake flour (1 ½ cups, see note)
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 oz granulated sugar (1 ¼ cups)
- 8 oz unsalted butter (room temp)
Glaze
- 1 oz raw pistachios (scant ¼ cup)
- 4 oz confectioner sugar (1 cup)
- 1 oz whole milk (2 tablespoons)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to at 350 °F. Butter and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan or Bundt pan (see note).
- Combine 5 large eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a small bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.
- Place 2 ½ oz raw pistachios in a food processor with ¼ cup of the cake flour. Grind the mixture to a powder. Do not over-process or the mixture will become a paste. Stop when most of the nuts are finely ground with some larger bits (see process photo).
- Transfer the ground pistachios to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining flour, ¼ teaspoon table salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder and 10 oz granulated sugar and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Add 8 oz unsalted butter to the flour and mix until combined. Increase the speed to medium high. Mix for a full 2-3 minutes. The batter will lighten in color and texture. If your using a hand mixer add another minute or two to the mixing time.
- Scrape the bowl and paddle thoroughly. On low speed, add the eggs in 3 increments, scraping the bowl after each addition. Mix just until the eggs are incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth to an even layer. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (about 55-65 minutes, less time if using a Bundt pan).
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning the cake out onto a cooling rack set over a clean sheet pan.
- While the cake is baking, toast 1 oz raw pistachios in a skillet until fragrant. Cool completely then roughly chop the nuts. In a small bowl, whisk together 4 oz confectioner sugar, 1 oz whole milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. The glaze should be the consistency of thin pancake batter.
- While the cake is still slightly warm drizzle the glaze over the cake then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Allow the glaze to set before moving the cake to a serving platter.
- Cool completely before serving.
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