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Lemon Pistachio Cake

Lemon pistachio cake with tender pistachio-flecked layers and bright lemon cream cheese frosting. Crushed pistachios coat the sides while lemon zest curls crown the top for a bakery-style citrus finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
cooling 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mediterranean-American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

pistachio cake
  • 1.5 cup shelled pistachios finely ground
  • 1 all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup butter softened (1.5 sticks)
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs large
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
lemon cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup butter softened (1 stick)
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 crushed pistachios for garnish and coating sides
  • 1 lemon zest curls for top garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prepare pans and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round pans; line with parchment for easy release.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk ground pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together until evenly combined.
Cream butter and sugar
  1. Beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, then scrape the bowl.
Add eggs and citrus
  1. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and sour cream.
Combine batter
  1. Fold the pistachio flour mixture into the batter just until no dry streaks remain.
Bake the layers
  1. Divide batter between the two pans and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely
  1. Cool the cakes completely in the pans before frosting so the frosting stays smooth, about 1 hour.
Make frosting
  1. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest; beat until fluffy.
Assemble and decorate
  1. Place one cake layer on a plate, fill and frost, then top with the second layer and frost the top and sides.
Coat sides with pistachios
  1. Press crushed pistachios around the sides so the green-studded crumb adheres evenly.
Finish with zest curls
  1. Arrange lemon zest curls on top for a bright, curled citrus finish.

Notes

Pro tip: grind pistachios very finely so the cake bakes tender and evenly flecked; if your frosting looks loose, chill 10 minutes before spreading. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; the assembled cake freezes up to 2 months (wrap tightly, thaw in the fridge overnight). For a nut-allergy-friendly swap, use a nut-free seed flour blend in place of pistachios, then keep the lemon cream cheese frosting the same.