This pistachio cake is easy, delicious, and unique! It gets its strong pistachio flavor from both chopped nuts and pistachio pudding, so it's sure to satisfy even the biggest pistachio lover. The cake is finished with a whipped cream frosting that's so light and dreamy, you'll want to eat it with a spoon! This cake is delicious year-round, but its beautiful color and light texture make it especially perfect for spring parties and showers.
The pistachio frosting on this cake is sensitive to warm temperatures, so you will want to keep the assembled cake in the refrigerator. If you need it to be stable at room temperature, consider frosting it with a traditional buttercream frosting instead.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
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Cooking spray
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1 (18.5-ounce) yellow cake mix
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4 eggs
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1 cup club soda, can substitute lemon-lime soda
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1 (3.4-ounce) box instant pistachio pudding (not sugar-free variety)
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1/4 cup vegetable oil, or 1/4 butter, melted and cooled
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1 pound pistachios, coarsely chopped, lightly toasted
For the Frosting:
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1 1/2 cups milk
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1 (1.5-ounce) envelope instant whipped topping
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1 (3.4-ounce) box instant pistachio pudding (not sugar-free variety)
Steps to Make It
Make the Cake
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Gather the ingredients.
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Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a large bowl combine the cake mix, eggs, club soda, 1 box of the pudding, and the oil. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 full minutes.
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Stir in 1/2 cup of the nuts by hand until they are well-distributed.
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Divide the batter between the two pans.
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Bake the cake layers for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertips and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
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Cool the pans on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans and cool them completely on baking rack. The cakes can be made in advance and kept, well-wrapped, in the freezer for several weeks or at room temperature for several days.
Make the Frosting
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Gather the ingredients, including the remaining pistachios.
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In a large bowl, mix the instant whipped topping with the dry pistachio pudding mix.
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Stir in the milk. Mix on low to combine and then turn it on to high for at least 4 minutes.
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Once the frosting is fluffy and whipped, fold in the remaining nuts.
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Place one cake round on a serving plate, and spread about half of the frosting on the cake.
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Top with the second cake round and spread the frosting all along the top and sides of the cake.
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Once frosted, keep the cake in the refrigerator because the frosting will melt if not refrigerated.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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267 | Calories |
19g | Fat |
18g | Carbs |
10g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 16 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 267 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 19g | 24% |
Saturated Fat 3g | 15% |
Cholesterol 51mg | 17% |
Sodium 270mg | 12% |
Total Carbohydrate 18g | 6% |
Dietary Fiber 3g | 11% |
Total Sugars 4g | |
Protein 10g | |
Vitamin C 1mg | 6% |
Calcium 110mg | 8% |
Iron 2mg | 9% |
Potassium 399mg | 8% |
*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. |