Triple Pistachio Cake Vegan (Gluten-free option)

Triple pistachio cake has an incredible, pistachio flavor from ground pistachios in the cake, the pistachio cream frosting, and chopped pistachios on top. It comes together quickly and is so easy to make! (gluten-free and soy-free options)

There are just tons of pistachios in this cake and it has an amazing pistachio flavor! Use some really good, fresh, raw pistachios for the best results. The fresh pistachio flavor just pops!

Powder up some pistachios and then use most of them in the simple cake batter. The rest goes into the pistachio cream mixture, which you make in the blender. Then, you sprinkle even more chopped pistachios on top! The cake has incredible crumb, is moist and delicious. The cream adds more fresh pistachio flavor as well as moisture. Chopped pistachios add the crunch, and make it look pretty!

Because the pistachio cream is closer to a glaze than a frosting, it’s very easy to assemble and quick to make.

This cake tastes best right after glazing, while the cake is moist, delicious, and warm, but it also stores very well. You can refrigerate it for a few days or freeze for up to three months!

pistachio cake with pistachio cream on it

Why You’ll Love It

incredible pistachio flavor in the cake, cream topping, and from crunchy pistachios on top
easy dessert perfect for picnics, parties, and celebrations
light, fluffy texture, no eggs needed
easy to make corn-free, gluten-free, and/or soy-free, if needed.

close-up of a slice of pistachio cake with a bite taken out

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Make the pistachio cake.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Add all of the raw pistachios with the 2 tablespoons of sugar to a small food processor or blender. Process for 15 to 20 seconds, stir to prevent them from turning butter, then continue processing until they are a fine meal. The sugar helps keep the pistachios from becoming buttery. Remove 1/4 cup of the ground pistachio mixture for the pistachio cream.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ground pistachios with the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. In a small bowl, combine non-dairy milk and vinegar. Let it sit for 1 minute to curdle, which makes vegan buttermilk. Add the yogurt, oil, 1/3 cup sugar, and the vanilla extract to the buttermilk bowl. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix in. If the batter is too thick, add more non-dairy milk 1 teaspoon at a time, until the batter is flowy but not runny. It should be somewhere between cake and muffin batter. (The thicker batter helps the cake maintain structure despite the weight of the nuts.)
Pour the batter into a greased or lined 8” or 9” cake pan. Bake for 28 to 35 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick at the 28-minute mark. The edges of the cake cook faster due to the nuts, so bake until the center is fully set with no liquid portion. Remove from the oven, and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it cool completely on the counter or in the fridge before frosting.

Meanwhile, make the pistachio cream topping.

Blend the reserved 1/4 cup ground pistachios with coconut cream, lemon zest, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. If using cashews, you may need to add a little coconut milk to help the blender. Taste and adjust the flavor. Add more sugar or vanilla , and blend again until smooth. Once smooth, transfer the cream to a bowl and freeze for at least 1 hour to thicken.

Assemble the pistachio cake.

Storage:
You can bake the pistachio cake and store it ahead in the fridge, with or without the cream, for up to 4 days. Reheat to room temperature or microwave until defrosted before serving. You can store the cream separately and drizzle it on the slices just before serving, if you prefer.
This pistachio cake is freezer-friendly in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months! Defrost frozen cake, then top with the pistachio cream.
To make this soy-free, use soy-free non-dairy yogurt and non-dairy milk, like oat or almond.
For gluten-free, mix together 3/4 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup oat flour, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch. Use 1 1/4 cups of this mixture for the batter. Also replace 1/4 cup of the non-dairy milk in the wet ingredients with 1/4 cup club soda or other neutral, fizzy beverage. If the batter is too thin, you can add in more of the leftover flour mixture until it reaches that cake batter but-not-too-flowy consistency.

Calories: 353kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Sodium: 123mg, Potassium: 234mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 45IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Ingredients and Substitutions

pistachios – These add a ton of flavor to the cake and toppings! Use good quality raw pistachios for the best flavor.
sugar – To sweeten the cake and the cream topping.
all-purpose flour – I use unbleached all purpose flour, you can use a mix of all purpose and wheat flour. For gluten-free, mix together 3/4 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup oat flour, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch. Use 1 1/4 cups of this mixture for the batter.
cornstarch – A binder. Use tapioca starch for corn-free.
baking powder, baking soda, and salt – To condition the cake batter.
non-dairy milk and vinegar – This is your vegan buttermilk.
non-dairy yogurt– Adds moisture and tang to balance the sweet flavor .
oil – Adds texture to the batter.
vanilla extract – You can use vanilla powder in the batter and topping instead, if you prefer.
coconut cream – Thickens the pistachio cream topping. If you want to use less coconut cream, you can use a mix of coconut cream and raw cashews instead.
lemon zest – Adds tang to the topping.

💡Tips

If you used all coconut cream in the pistachio cream topping, it will thicken in the freezer to be like a thick, spreadable glaze. If you use cashews, it will be thicker, like a frosting. If your kitchen is warm, the frosting will be more like a glaze and add more moisture to the cake, which is fine. It’s almost like a tres leches when that mind-flowingly good pistachio cream soaks in.
The pistachio cake batter should be somewhere between cake and muffin batter in consistency. The thicker batter helps the cake maintain structure despite the weight of the nuts.
You don’t want to frost the cake while it’s still hot, because the cream will just melt off. It should be warm or room temperature.

How to Make Pistachio Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Add the raw pistachios with the 2 tablespoons of sugar to a small food processor or blender. Process for 15 to 20 seconds, stir to prevent them from turning butter, then continue processing until they are a fine meal. The sugar helps keep the pistachios from becoming buttery. Remove 1/4 cup of the ground pistachio mixture for the pistachio cream.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ground pistachios with the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. In a small bowl, combine non-dairy milk and vinegar. Let it sit for 1 minute to curdle, which makes vegan buttermilk.

Add the yogurt, oil, 1/3 cup sugar, and the vanilla extract to the milk mixture . Mix well until the sugar dissolves.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix in. If the batter is too thick, add more non-dairy milk 1 teaspoon at a time, until the batter is flowy but not runny. It should be somewhere between cake and muffin batter.

Pour the batter into a greased or lined 8” or 9” cake pan. Bake for 28 to 35 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick at the 28-minute mark. The edges of the cake cook faster due to the nuts, so bake until the center is fully set with no liquid portion. Remove from the oven, and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it cool completely on the counter or in the fridge before frosting.

Meanwhile, blend the reserved 1/4 cup ground pistachios with coconut cream, lemon zest, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. If using cashews, you may need to add a little coconut milk to help the blender. Taste and adjust the flavor. Add more sugar or vanilla, and blend again until smooth.

Once smooth, transfer the cream to a bowl and freeze for at least 1 hour to thicken.

Pour and spread the pistachio cream over the cooled cake. Top generously with chopped pistachios. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

What to Serve with Pistachio Cake

Pistachio cake is a delicious dessert! Serve it with hot coffee, chai, matcha, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this recipe allergy friendly?

Because this is a pistachio cake, you can’t make it nut-free, but you can make it corn-free, soy-free, and/or gluten-free.

For corn-free, just use tapioca starch instead of the cornstarch.

To make this soy-free, use soy-free non-dairy yogurt and non-dairy milk, like oat or almond.

For gluten-free, mix together 3/4 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup oat flour, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch. Use 1 1/4 cups of this mixture for the batter. Also replace 1/4 cup of the non-dairy milk in the wet ingredients with 1/4 cup club soda or other neutral, fizzy beverage.

How do I store pistachio cake?

You can bake the pistachio cake and store it ahead in the fridge, with or without the cream, for up to 4 days. Reheat to room temperature or microwave slightly before serving. You can store the cream separately and drizzle it on just before serving, if you prefer.

This pistachio cake is freezer-friendly in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months! Reheat frozen cake to room temp, then top with the pistachio cream.

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