This moist and fluffy Vegan Pistachio Cake has delicate nutty flavors from real pistachios! Decorated with a silky smooth vegan pistachio buttercream, it’s a show-stopping dessert that’s perfect for spring.
Looking for more vegan cakes to make this spring? Try my Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake, Vegan Strawberry Cake, Vegan Lemon Blueberry Lavender Cake, and Vegan Lemon Cake.
This elegant yet easy Vegan Pistachio Cake is a must for Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, or any get-together during spring!
Made with everyday vegan baking staples and real pistachios, this cake boasts sophisticated nutty flavors and an almost impossibly moist yet light and fluffy crumb in all three layers. But the best part is the silky vegan pistachio buttercream you’d never guess is dairy-free! With its light green hue and irresistible nutty fragrance, this cake was made to impress.
Why you’ll love this vegan pistachio cake
- Real pistachio flavors – Ground pistachios + almond extract are responsible for the delicate nutty flavors in the cake layers, while pistachio butter adds flavor and richness to the vegan buttercream.
- A sophisticated dessert – All three layers of this cake showcase subtle yet elegant nutty flavors that will impress anyone who takes a bite!
- Perfect for spring – Add a few fresh flowers or berries on top of the cake and serve everyone a slice at Easter, Mother’s Day, backyard get-togethers, or birthday parties.
How to make a vegan pistachio cake
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Stir the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a large bowl. Set it aside to curdle for 1 minute, then whisk in the sugar, yogurt, melted vegan butter, vanilla, and almond extract.
Process the pistachios in a food processor until fine and crumbly.
Add the pistachio crumbs, cake flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. If desired, mix in a few drops of green food coloring.
Instead of green food coloring, experiment with 1 to 2 teaspoons of matcha powder in the cake!
Divide the batter into the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Afterward, set the cakes aside to cool while you make the frosting.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until it’s smooth. Add the pistachio butter and gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed. Add the cream or milk and vanilla extract and mix until everything is well combined and smooth.
If the frosting seems too thick, stir in a little more cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Place one cake layer on a cake stand and frost the top. Place the second layer on top, frost it, and place the third cake layer on top of the second. Frost the tops and sides of the cake.
Decorate it with chopped pistachios if desired, then slice and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Cake flour is best for the light and fluffy crumb but you can use all-purpose flour as a substitute if that’s what you have on hand. You can also make homemade cake flour by mixing all-purpose flour and cornstarch together. Check out this Cake Flour Substitute Guide from Sally’s Baking Addiction to learn how it’s done.
Yes! Almond extract is the secret to enhancing the pistachio flavor. Pistachios have a very subtle flavor and without the extract, the cake wouldn’t taste nearly as nutty.
I personally love the vegan pistachio buttercream frosting in this recipe because it’s nutty, creamy, and smooth. My Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting or Vegan Buttercream Frosting are good options, too. When you want to go all out, try my Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Wrap each baked, cooled, and unfrosted cake layer in a layer of plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The frosted cake should be kept covered, either in an airtight container or in a cake carrier, and stored on the kitchen counter or in the fridge. At room temperature, it will last for about 5 days.
Vegan Pistachio Cake
Ingredients
Pistachio Cake
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegan yogurt plain or vanilla
- 1 cup melted vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup roasted salted pistachios shelled
- 3 cups cake flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- optional few drops green food coloring
Pistachio Buttercream
- 1 cup vegan butter softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup pistachio butter*
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan cream or plant milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- chopped pistachios for decorating cake
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F place the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Grease 3 8-inch round cake pans with oil or vegan butter. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom for easy removal later.
Make the cakes
- In a large bowl, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Give it a little stir, then let sit for 1 minute to curdle. Now add the sugar, yogurt, melted vegan butter, vanilla and almond extracts and whisk well to combine.
- In a food processor, add the pistachios and process until fine and crumbly, but don't let it get pasty like pistachio butter!
- To the wet ingredients, add the pistachio crumbs, cake flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a large spoon until combined, but don't over mix the batter. If desired, mix in a few drops of green food coloring.
- Divide the batter evenly into the pans and bake in the center rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting and decorate
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pistachio butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed. Continue adding a cup of powdered sugar at a time until it's all mixed in.
- Add the cream (or milk) and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until everything is well combined and smooth.
- If the frosting seems too thick, add a little more cream. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Place one cake layer on a cake stand and frost, followed by the next two layers. Finally, frost the top and sides of the cake and decorate, as desired with chopped pistachios.
Notes
- You can use all purpose flour instead of cake flour, but the cake will be more dense. You can also make your own cake flour if you can’t find any. Gluten free flour may work, but results will vary.
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To make pistachio butter, simply place 1 1/2 cups of pistachios in a food processor and process until a butter is formed. You can also leave it out, or use my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting instead.
Hi Nora love this recipe thank you! Made it for Greek Easter and for a work party twice Huge hit! Now I want to do cup cakes what would cook time be?
Hi Debbie! I’m thrilled that the cake was a hit! How fun! Thank you for sharing! Cupcakes need about 18-22 minutes to bake. Happy baking!
I tried this recipe with gluten free cake flour and it turned out amazing! No could believe it was vegan and gf! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe
You are welcome, Geena! I’m so glad the cake turned out wonderful for you! Thanks for sharing your awesome review and feedback!
Hi Nora! I am attempting to make this cake for my daughter who has a dairy intolerance and I’m looking for the pistachio butter online but some have skim milk. Is there a brand you recommend please? Thanks 🙏🏼
I actually just make my own, I haven’t bought any. It’s in a note within the recipe, I just make my own by processing about 1/2 cup of pistachios in a food processor until a butter is formed. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much. Yes that helps tremendously 🙂
What changes would I have to make to make this two layers instead of 3?
Will I have to increase the baking time? Or is it not recommended at all?
You could bake the cake in 2 9-inch cake pans instead. Add on 10-15 more minutes of bake time if you do this.