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Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing

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Light and fluffy sponge with the subtle flavour of pistachios and silky smooth cream cheese Icing. This Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing is one of my family’s favourites. 

Baking this Pistachio Cake with cream cheese icing for my sister

Each year I try to come up with a new birthday cake idea for my sister. Her birthday is at the start of April which means it unfortunately falls before Easter and therefore during lent.  I won’t make her a chocolate cake because I give up chocolate for lent. 

This year, I wanted pistachios to feature in the cake because she loves them. I started looking online and found a few different recipes for pistachio cakes to get some inspiration.

I came across a Good Food recipe which sounded like it would be perfect after I had made a few tweaks. Another possibly strange reason I wanted to use this recipe as a guide was that the comments weren’t that great.

They were generally mentioning that the recipe was very unclear and confusing. So I took this as a challenge to tweak it and come up with my own, clearer recipe which is how my Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese Icing was born!

Pistachio is a very underrated flavour

I think pistachios are a very underrated flavour in baking. Whether that is pistachio cake, cookies or even ice cream.

Pistachios have a lovely delicate nuttiness which is so tasty! They not only add a lovely flavour but a natural colour to the cake.

Some recipes use artificial flavouring to create their pistachio flavor. This cake is all natural flavours which makes it even tastier.

The wonder of cream cheese icing 

My sister isn’t the easier person to please with her cake preferences as she doesn’t tend to like buttercream or jam. So this cake is perfect because it has a cream cheese icing.

I’m deliberately referring to it as icing as it is a lot thinner than buttercream or frosting usually is. This is because it is literally cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla. The lack of butter gives it a silky smooth and delicate flavour, but also doesn’t provide much thickness. 

I don’t think this is a problem, it just means you need to take a little bit of care when spreading the icing. If you start by spooning the icing into the middle of the cake and gradually encouraging it towards the edges then you will be able to cover the cake beautifully.

It definitely isn’t the type of icing you can pipe on top of the cake. Personally, I like the simplicity of the decoration of the cake and it means you don’t have to worry if you don’t have any piping skills. 

Can I use low fat cream cheese?

I really do not recommend using low fat cream cheese in this recipe.

I don’t recommend using it in any cream cheese icing recipes I have, but especially not this one. That is because the icing is already quite thin for this cake.

If you were to use low fat cream cheese the icing would be even thinner and quite possibly run off the cake. It would still taste just as good but wouldn’t look so good in my opinion.

Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese Icing – simple but delicious! 

This Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese Icing is very simple to make and very quick too. Apart from blitzing the pistachios, you really only need to mix the ingredients together and spoon it onto the tins and you’re done.

Sometimes you do want to spend hours creating a work of art, but on the other hand there are also times when you want a quick cake that still tastes delicious. 

I love the flecks of green that the pistachios bring to the cake. They are a lovely contrast to the white cream cheese icing.

If you like pistachios, you need to give this Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese Icing a go!  

Which pistachios are best to use?

You really cannot use salted pistachios in this recipe. They would make the whole cake salty which definitely isn’t what you are looking for!

You can buy shelled and deshelled unsalted pistachios in most supermarkets. The shelled pistachios are cheaper because the hard work hasn’t been done for you!

Once when making this cake, I did buy the shelled unsalted pistachios because I thought it wouldn’t take me long to deshell them all. It took a lot longer than I thought and I chipped my nail varnish.

So personally, I would always recommend buying the deshelled unsalted pistachios.

If you like this Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing, why not try my Pistachio & Vanilla Cookies or my Courgette Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Cream Cheese. 

How to grind the pistachios

The easiest way to grind the pistachios is in a food processor. You are aiming for a mixture of sizes of the nuts when they are ground. You want some larger pieces and then some fine dust.

These different sized pieces will add a lovely texture to the cake which really makes it special. If you grind the pistachios too much you will end up with all dust and miss out on the texture.

If you don’t have a food processor, add the pistachios to a bag and hit them with a rolling pin. This way will take a little bit longer but you will still get the same end result.

How long will this pistachio cake with cream cheese icing keep for?

This cake will keep for up to three days. After this it might start to get a little dry.

I would recommend keeping it in the fridge because of the cream cheese icing. It isn’t recommended to leave this out of the fridge for a long period of time.

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4.88 from 58 votes
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Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing

Light and fluffy sponge with the subtle flavour of pistachios and silky smooth cream cheese Icing. This Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing is one of my family’s favourites. 

Course Cake
Cuisine British
Keyword Cupcakes, Pistachio, Cream Cheese Icing
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 388 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 100 g unsalted pistachios de-shelled
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 200 g margarine
  • 150 g self raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tbsp milk

For the icing

  • 200 g full fat cream cheese
  • 130 g icing sugar
  • ⅛ tsp vanilla extract

To decorate

  • 2 tbsp pistachios ground

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC (fan assisted, 190°C non fan). Line two 8 inch loose bottomed sandwich tins with parchment paper

  2. Using a food processor, blitz 100g unsalted pistachios until quite fine

  3. Cream 200g caster sugar and 200g margarine together until light and fluffy

  4. Add the pistachios to the creamed butter and sugar along with 150g self raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 4 eggs and 2 tbsp milk. Mix until just combined

  5. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and smooth. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and a cocktail stick comes out clean

  6. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack and letting cool completely

  7. When the cake is completely cooled, mix 200g cream cheese, 130g icing sugar and ⅛ tsp vanilla extract together

  8. As with all sandwich cakes turn one of the cakes upside down so the top is on the plate/cake board you are using to serve. Spoon half of the mixture onto the cake and spread out using a pallet knife

  9. Place the remaining cake on top the correct way up. Spread the rest of the cream cheese mixture on the top of the cake

  10. Blitz 2 tbsp pistachios until coarse and sprinkle over the top of the cake

Recipe Notes

You can use margarine or butter to make the cake. 

As the cake has cream cheese, I recommend keeping it in the fridge. 

Nutritional information is given as a guide only and may vary. 

Nutrition Facts
Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing
Amount Per Serving
Calories 388 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 54mg18%
Sodium 180mg8%
Potassium 181mg5%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 28g31%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 700IU14%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 46mg5%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emma's Mamma says

    Wow that looks so moist! And the icing in the middle (and all around) is perfect! I bet the people in Nandos were jealous – I am!

    Reply

    • Joe says

      The icing if these quantities are correct is extremely runny. Is that how it should be? I think you could pour it but not spread it. Or do you put it in the fridge to firm up first? When I have made cream cheese icing before it has had whipped cream in it and been much firmer.

      Reply

      • Curly says

        Hi Joe, yes it is an icing not a frosting. I know what you mean, when I make cream cheese frosting I add butter to thicken it. This is more liquid and definitely can’t be piped. It will firm up slightly if you put the cake in the fridge, but this isn’t needed. Hope this helps.

        Reply

      • Curly says

        Hi Joe, yes it is an icing not a frosting. I know what you mean, when I make cream cheese frosting I add butter to thicken it. This is more liquid and definitely can’t be piped. It will firm up slightly if you put the cake in the fridge, but this isn’t needed. Hope this helps.

        Reply

  3. Nicola B says

    This looks great! I really want to try it. You’re right, poorly written recipes and ones with an ingredient list an A4 sheet long put me off but I really like the way you’ve presented this and the other recipes on your page, like the double orange cake and banana and honey muffins #BigFatLinky

    Reply

    • Cat says

      I’ve received lots of compliments about this cake so it would definitely be worth a go!

      Thank you 🙂 that’s very nice to hear. Its very frustrating when a recipe is slightly confusing and you end up missing an ingredient out!

      Reply

  4. Samantha says

    I found a link to your blog on the original recipe page and have to say I’m very glad I found your recipe! I have to bake a cake for a charity event soon and definitely going to have a go at this! Thank you very much for making it easier to understand!

    Reply

  5. kate says

    Im glad someone fixed the original recipe, however, you tell us to add the sugar twice, which might be almost as confusing as not adding the butter.

    ” 2.Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
    3. Blitz the pistachios in a food processor until very fine and mix with the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add to the butter and sugar along with the eggs and milk and mix until combined”

    Reply

    • Cat says

      Hi Kate,

      Really sorry about the error, I completely understand your point and it was very confusing!

      Thank you for pointing out the error, I hope this didn’t put you off making this delicious cake 🙂 x

      Reply

  6. Emily says

    Have just made this for my mum on her Birthday. Thanks so much for the recipe. The cake went down a treat! Scrumptious

    Reply

  8. Jessica T says

    5 stars
    Delicious cake & so easy to make! Made it for my mum for Mother’s Day. Baked it at 190 degrees for 20 minutes, bit darker on top than in your pics so it was ever so slightly dry. Will bake at 180 next time. Thanks for the great recipe it was a hit which was great after the disappointing desserts on offer at the hotel buffet I took mum to.

    Reply

    • Curly says

      I am so pleased you liked it 🙂 Ah that’s a shame, I hope you and your Mum still enjoyed it. Unfortunately ovens can vary so it’s a bit tricky. I hope your Mum had a lovely Mother’s Day 🙂

      Reply

      • Jessica T says

        Don’t worryw, we still loved the cake. It was only slightly dry. Already thinking of an excuse to make it again Thank you for the recipe & easy to follow directions! Yummy cake always makes us happy so mum had a great Mother’s Day. Thanks again!

        Reply

  11. Naureen says

    5 stars
    Hi Cat !
    This looks amazing and I am impressed with the effort you have put in writing the recipe. Can I just ask I am not a fan of icing but I love cakes . How would this cake be without the icing? Would I be able to bake it in one cake tin ?
    Thank you

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Naureen, thank you very much 🙂 Have you tried cream cheese icing before? I’m not a fan of buttercream but I do like this cream cheese icing. Without the icing the cake would still be tasty, but it does add extra moistness. The cake naturally isn’t as moist as something like a carrot cake. If you wanted to bake it in one tin you would need a deep 8 inch tin. I haven’t done this myself so wouldn’t know the exact cooking time but I would start at 30 minutes and go from there. Hope this helps 🙂

      Reply

      • Naureen says

        Thank you so much for getting back ! Will definitely try it with the frosting first then and take it from there .
        Once again thank you for the reply!

        Reply

        • Curly says

          That sounds like a good plan. It is quite a thin covering of icing so hopefully you will like it. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

          Reply

  13. AAKASH RANGLANI says

    4 stars
    The cake turned out fab! Although it was a bit dry. I think next time I’m going to top the cake with sugar/rose syrup to get it wetter and then layer the cream cheese frosting on top. I decorated mine with pistachios and rose petals!

    Reply

    • Curly says

      I’m sorry to hear it was a little dry. How long did you bake it for? Next time you could test it a bit earlier as it could have done with coming out slightly earlier? Your idea sounds delicious!

      Reply

    • Curly says

      We don’t have cake flour here in the UK so I haven’t used it before. After googling I think it would be ok. I don’t know whether cake flour is the equivalent of plain (all purpose) or self raising flour but this recipe needs self raising flour.

      Reply

  17. Isabel Wauchope says

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe so much. Simple but also love the pistachio element which I don’t think I’ve seen very often! Thanks so much

    Reply

  19. Marsha says

    5 stars
    Hi ya,
    Made this cake today – decided to use less icing sugar – it was delicious (I received lots of positive compliments). Thanks for sharing a very easy to follow recipe. I’ll be making this again soon.

    Reply

  20. Ana says

    I can’t wait to try this recipe for Christmas Eve dinner! Will it still be good if I make it a day before and keep it in the fridge?

    Thank you!!

    Reply

      • Ana says

        5 stars
        Thank you Curly! It turned out amazing. Wish I could send you a picture 🙂 thanks for the help and creating these mouth watering recipes

        Reply

  21. Caroline says

    5 stars
    Had this recipe saved for ages as pistachio is a fave nut of ours. Easy to follow (I’m usually a bit heavy handed with baking). Found some dregs of pistachio butter in the cupboard so added to the icing for the top. Fab colour & delicious cake

    Reply

  22. Nirmala says

    5 stars
    Just love this recipe I tried and it was really good. My family just loved it and it will be one of my favourite cake. Thanks

    Reply

  24. Maxine says

    Hi, I’m going to make this for my husband’s birthday as he loves pistachio. Can I use 7 inch tins instead of 8 inch?

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Maxine, yes you can but the sponge will be a bit thicker so will probably take a few more minutes to cook. Just check it every few minutes after 20 minutes to see if it is baked. I hope he likes it 🙂

      Reply

  25. Maria says

    Hi, will be trying this for the first time but wanted to know if I can substitute some of the flour with ground almonds (obviously in addition to the pistachios!) to make it a bit more of an almond cake kind of texture, and if so what quantities I should use of flour and ground almonds? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Maria, I haven’t tried it myself before but I would use half flour and half ground almonds. Ground almonds can make bakes a little thicker so you might need to add a drop of milk to loosen it up.

      Reply

  26. SHABANA Mahomed-Assen says

    Hi there, looking forward to trying this recipe out, should it be 4 large eggs or medium size please? Just want to be sure before i get started!
    Thanks,
    Shabana

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Shabana, I have used both large and medium eggs for this cake and it has come out perfectly. Hope you enjoy it.

      Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Hina, yes you can do. For 7 inch tins I would split the batter between two tins. It will take a bit longer to bake. For 6 inch cakes I would split the mix between three tins. They might cook a bit quicker or the same amount of time as the recipe states.

      Reply

  29. Jess says

    Hello! I plan on baking this tomorrow and am wondering whether the margerine and cream cheese should be at room temp or ok to use from the fridge? Thank you! X

    Reply

  30. Marta says

    4 stars
    I made this cake yesterday. The Fahrenheit equivalent is 375 degrees so that’ where I set my oven. I checked after 15 minutes and the toothpick came out clean so I took the cakes out. The cake was delicious but a teeny bit dry. Also, I used 8″ cake pans so I’m wondering if that made a difference. Anyway, I will try it again because of the wonderful flavor but maybe take it down to 350 degrees F.

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Marta, if it was dry I would guess that it was a little overbaked. Is yours a fan oven? 375f would be for a non fan oven so it might have been better to try it at 170c which is 338f (or the closest option your oven has to that temp). The recipe is for 8″ tins so that shouldn’t be an issue. I hope that at a lower temperature the cake will be even better 🙂

      Reply

  33. Zahida says

    5 stars
    Hi there, I wanted to make this for someone who has an allergy to cheese but loves pistachios! Do you think the regular buttercream icing will taste ok with it? Thanks

    Reply

    • Curly says

      I tried to make this recipe into cupcakes and something wasn’t quite right. The cupcakes came away from the liners so I need to develop the recipe further. They tasted good but didn’t look quite right.

      Reply

  35. Sal says

    Hi Cat

    I’ve made this version and it is absolutely amazing.

    I was wondering if I could make this gluten free by substituting the flour to a gluten free version.

    Do you think it would work or would I need to change anything else?

    Reply

    • Curly says

      Hi Sal, so pleased you like this cake 🙂 I don’t have a huge amount of experience when it comes to gluten free baking I’m afraid. However when I have used gluten free flour in the past I have had to use xanthan gum as well so the cake isn’t too crumbly. Unfortunately I don’t know how much you would need for this cake.

      Reply

  36. Lesley says

    5 stars
    I love any cake that contains nuts and this delicious pistachio cake recipe is no exception. The recipe was easy to follow. The cake is light as a feather and perfect finished with the vanilla cream cheese frosting.

    Reply

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