Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 12 servings (three 8-inch layers)
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours

Quick Ingredients

Cake: 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (120 g) unsalted shelled pistachios (finely ground), 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp fine salt, 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter (soft), 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil, 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar, 4 large eggs, 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, 1/4 cup (60 g) pistachio paste, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional), 1–2 drops green gel food coloring (optional).
Buttercream: 1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter (soft), 5 cups (600 g) confectioners’ sugar, 1/3 cup (80 g) pistachio paste, 2–4 tbsp (30–60 ml) heavy cream or milk, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp fine salt, green gel food coloring (optional).
Decoration: 1/2 cup (60 g) finely chopped pistachios, 1/4 cup (20–30 g) white chocolate shavings or curls (optional), extra whole pistachios (optional).

Do This

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans. Grind pistachios finely, then whisk with flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in oil, pistachio paste, vanilla, and almond extract. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Whisk milk and sour cream together. Add dry ingredients to the batter alternately with the milk mixture, mixing just until smooth. Tint pale green if desired and divide batter between pans.
4. Bake 22–26 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10–15 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
5. For buttercream, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, then pistachio paste, vanilla, salt, and enough cream/milk to reach a soft, spreadable consistency. Tint pale green if you like.
6. Level cooled cakes. Fill and stack with buttercream, crumb-coat, chill briefly, then add a final smooth layer. Decorate with chopped pistachios and white chocolate shavings.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Real pistachio flavor from ground pistachios and pistachio paste, not artificial extracts.
A soft, tender, pale green crumb that looks as elegant as it tastes.
Generous pistachio buttercream inside and out for a truly celebratory cake.
Make-ahead friendly and flexible: perfect for birthdays, holidays, or any special occasion.

Grocery List

Produce: None needed, unless you want fresh berries or herbs for serving (optional).
Dairy: Unsalted butter, whole milk, sour cream, heavy cream (or milk for frosting), large eggs.
Pantry: All-purpose flour, shelled unsalted pistachios, pistachio paste, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, vanilla extract, almond extract (optional), neutral oil, white chocolate bar (for shavings, optional), green gel food coloring (optional).

Full Ingredients

For the Pistachio Cake Layers (three 8-inch rounds)

1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (120 g) shelled unsalted pistachios, finely ground
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, very soft but not melted
1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup (60 g) pistachio paste (ideally 100% pistachios or minimally sweetened)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional, enhances nutty flavor)
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, at room temperature
1–2 tiny drops green gel food coloring (optional, for a slightly brighter green)

For the Pistachio Buttercream

1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter, very soft
5 cups (600 g) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (80 g) pistachio paste
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp fine sea salt (or to taste)
2–4 tbsp (30–60 ml) heavy cream or whole milk, as needed for consistency
1–2 tiny drops green gel food coloring (optional)

For Decorating

1/2 cup (60 g) finely chopped unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup (20–30 g) white chocolate shavings or curls (optional)
Extra whole pistachios or small clusters of chopped nuts for the top (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep your pans, oven, and pistachios

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with a thin layer of butter or nonstick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment circles and lightly flour the sides, tapping out any excess. This helps the delicate pistachio layers release cleanly.

If your butter, eggs, milk, and sour cream are cold, set them out now so they can take some of the chill off. Meanwhile, place the shelled pistachios in a food processor with 1–2 tablespoons of the measured granulated sugar or flour (this helps prevent them turning into paste). Pulse in short bursts until they are very finely ground with a texture like coarse sand. Do not run the processor continuously or the nuts will become oily.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside. In a small jug or bowl, whisk together the whole milk and sour cream until smooth; set this aside as well.

Step 2: Cream the butter, sugar, and pistachio paste

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), add the softened butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is very pale and fluffy. This step helps create a light, tender crumb.

Beat in the neutral oil until fully incorporated. Add the pistachio paste, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), and mix on medium speed until the batter is smooth and the paste is evenly distributed. The mixture should already look slightly green and very creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition just until incorporated and scraping down the bowl as needed. Once all the eggs are in, the batter should be thick, silky, and emulsified.

Step 3: Finish the batter and divide into pans

Switch the mixer to low speed. Add about one-third of the dry pistachio-flour mixture and mix just until it disappears. Pour in half of the milk–sour cream mixture and mix again just until combined. Repeat with another third of the dry ingredients, the remaining milk mixture, and finish with the last third of the dry ingredients. Mix only until no streaks of flour remain; overmixing at this stage can make the cake dense.

If you want a slightly brighter green cake, dip a toothpick into your gel food coloring and swipe just a tiny amount into the batter. Mix on low speed or fold by hand until the color is even and pale green. Be conservative; you can always add a touch more.

Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans (about 430–450 g of batter per pan if you are weighing). Smooth the tops with an offset spatula and gently tap each pan on the counter once or twice to pop any large air bubbles.

Step 4: Bake and cool the pistachio cake layers

Place the pans on the center rack of your preheated oven. Bake for 22–26 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through if your oven has hot spots. The cakes are done when the tops spring back lightly to the touch, the edges are just starting to pull away from the sides, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter).

Remove the pans from the oven and let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes. Then run a thin knife around the edges, invert each layer onto the rack, peel off the parchment, and flip right-side up. Allow the layers to cool completely until they are no longer even slightly warm to the touch, at least 1–1 1/2 hours. Cool cakes are essential for clean frosting.

Step 5: Make the pistachio buttercream

Once the cake layers are cool, prepare the buttercream. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until very smooth, light, and creamy. This step makes the frosting extra fluffy.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bowl and increase the speed to medium briefly between additions to keep the frosting smooth. When all the sugar is incorporated, the mixture will be thick.

Add the pistachio paste, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium speed until everything is evenly combined and the frosting has a uniform pale green hue with tiny pistachio flecks. Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk and beat again; if the frosting is still too stiff, add more cream/milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it is soft, spreadable, and holds gentle peaks. If you want a slightly deeper green color, beat in a tiny amount of gel food coloring. Beat for another 1–2 minutes to aerate.

Step 6: Level, fill, and stack the cake

If the cake layers are domed, use a long serrated knife to carefully trim the tops so they are flat and even. Save the crumbs for snacking or for sprinkling on individual slices later.

Place a small dollop of buttercream in the center of your serving plate or cake board to “glue” the cake in place. Set the first layer on top, cut side up. Spread about 3/4–1 cup of pistachio buttercream evenly over the surface, pushing it just to the edges with an offset spatula. Add the second layer, cut side down or up as you prefer, and repeat with another layer of buttercream. Top with the third layer, bottom side up for a perfectly flat top.

Use a small amount of buttercream to fill any gaps between the layers. At this stage, you are aiming for a neat, stable stack more than a perfect finish.

Step 7: Crumb-coat, chill, and decorate

Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake to create a crumb coat. This seals in loose crumbs and makes the final coat smooth. Do not worry if you can see the cake through this layer. Chill the crumb-coated cake in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes, or until the buttercream is firm to the touch.

Once chilled, apply a thicker, even layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing with a bench scraper or spatula for a sleek, modern finish or using swooping motions for a softer, rustic look. While the frosting is still soft, gently press the chopped pistachios around the bottom edge of the cake or create a ring around the top edge. Scatter extra chopped or whole pistachios on top as desired.

Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin curls from a bar of white chocolate, letting them fall over the top of the cake for a delicate, elegant touch. Chill briefly to set, or leave at cool room temperature until serving. Slice with a sharp, clean knife, wiping the blade between cuts for picture-perfect slices.

Pro Tips

Grind pistachios carefully: Pulse in short bursts with a spoonful of flour or sugar to prevent them from turning into paste. You want a fine, sandy texture with no large chunks.
Use room temperature ingredients: Soft butter and room temperature eggs, milk, and sour cream help the batter emulsify properly, giving you a lighter, more even crumb.
Do not overmix: Once the flour goes in, mix only until you no longer see dry streaks. Overmixing can lead to a dense, tough cake.
Adjust for sweetened pistachio paste: If your paste is already sweetened, consider reducing the granulated sugar in the cake by 2–3 tablespoons and the confectioners’ sugar in the frosting by about 1/2 cup.
Clean slices every time: Dip your knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and slice. Clean and repeat between cuts for neat, bakery-style slices that show the layers.

Variations

Raspberry-pistachio celebration cake: Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam or seedless raspberry preserves over each cake layer before adding the buttercream. The tart berries pair beautifully with the rich pistachios.
Lemon-pistachio twist: Add the finely grated zest of 1–2 lemons to the cake batter with the sugar and a tablespoon of lemon juice to the buttercream. The citrus brightens the nutty flavor.
Sheet cake or cupcakes: Bake the batter in a 9×13-inch pan (about 30–35 minutes) for a simpler sheet cake, or make 24 cupcakes (18–22 minutes). Frost generously with the pistachio buttercream and garnish with chopped nuts.

Storage & Make-Ahead

The fully assembled cake keeps well, covered, at cool room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen is warm or you need longer storage, refrigerate it well covered for up to 4–5 days, then let it sit at room temperature for 45–60 minutes before serving so the buttercream softens. You can bake the cake layers up to 2 days ahead: once completely cool, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature, or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen layers (still wrapped) at room temperature before frosting. The pistachio buttercream can be made 2–3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container; bring it to room temperature and re-whip briefly before using, adding a teaspoon or two of cream or milk if needed to restore a smooth, spreadable texture.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values for 1 slice (1/12 of the cake): about 940 calories, 55 g fat, 115 g carbohydrates, 95 g sugar, 12 g protein, and 1.5 g fiber. Actual values will vary based on exact ingredients, pistachio paste composition, and thickness of frosting and decorations on each slice.

Pistachio Layer Cake With Pistachio Buttercream Frosting