Easy pistachio cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix, pudding mix and topped off with whipped cream. Super soft and moist!
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This is such a classic cake recipe that's found in most vintage cook books. If you are fond of pistachios, you must also try these Pistachio Carrot Cupcakes. Both of them have such a wonderful nutty flavor. Also, these would be great to serve on St. Patrick's Day because of their green color. For more green food inspiration, check out these Green Desserts (St.Patrick's Day Desserts).
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How to make easy pistachio cake recipe with cake mix?
- Make cake batter- By mixing together cake mix, instant pudding powder, green food coloring, eggs, oil, milk.
- Mix- Until just combined.
- Pour batter- In greased/floured cake pan.
- Bake- Until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Let cake cool- Until room temperature.
- Spread frosting- Whipped cream pairs perfectly with this cake flavor.
Variations for pistachio pudding cake
- Pair with other frosting- I like to keep the frosting very simple so that the flavor of the cake shines through. It's a simple whipped cream. You can use homemade or store-bought whipped cream like Cool Whip. If you are fond of buttercream, you can use my American Buttercream Frosting or this Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Decorate- Sprinkle white chocolate chips, white chocolate shavings, roughly chopped pistachios, shredded coconut, sprinkles or maraschino cherries.
- Make bundt cake- Use sour cream. This makes it firm and works better in a bundt pan. Replace milk with 1 cup sour cream and reduce oil to ½ cup.
- Add extracts- Such as almond extract or coconut extract or rose extract.
- Add zests- Such as 1 tablespoon lemon zest or lime zest or orange zest.
- Poke cake- Prepare the cake as explained below. Then, make holes all over the cake with a bubble tea straw. Prepare the pistachio pudding mixture. Then, pour it all over the cake. Chill for 1 hour. Then, spread whipped cream on top of the cake.
- Make layer cake- Make multiple round cakes with this recipe. Then, stack them with whipped cream and chopped pistachios between each layer.
Tips and techniques
- Don't use butter instead of oil- Because that makes the cake very heavy and dense.
- Don't use fat free milk- Because that doesn't add any moisture or flavor to this cake.
- What cake mix flavor to use? Use white cake mix, butter cake mix or yellow cake mix. I prefer the yellow cake mix since it has the best overall flavor. The brand of cake mix does not really matter.
- Don't over mix cake batter-Because that makes a tough cake.
- Cool cake completely before frosting- Because the warmth of the cake will melt the frosting and lead to a sticky mess.
- Don't over-bake cake- Because that will make it dry and crumbly.
- All ingredients should be at room temperature- Because they mix together smoothly and evenly.
Storage
- Refrigerate- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze- Unfrosted cake can be stored in a sealed container for up to 1 month. When you are ready to enjoy it, let it thaw until room temperature and then frost it and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can add it and it gives the cake a new flavor and also adds moisture.
No. Even though they are both green in color, watergate cake also has coconut and lemon flavor.
More doctored cake mix recipes
- How to Make Box Cake Better (Taste Homemade)
- Easy Apple Cake Recipe with Cake Mix
- German Chocolate Cake (With Cake Mix)
- Chocolate Cake Roll (With Cake Mix)
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake (With Cake Mix)
Recipe
Pistachio Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 Eggs Large
- ¾ cup Oil
- 1 cup Milk 2% or Whole
- 1 box Yellow cake mix Must use 15.25 oz. box
- 1 box Instant Pistachio pudding Dry powder, 3.4 oz
- Green food coloring
- 2 cups Whipped cream
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add eggs, oil, milk and mix until smooth.
- Add cake mix powder, instant pistachio pudding powder, green food coloring and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into a greased/floured rectangle cake pan (Dimensions: 9x13).
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes OR until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool down completely and spread whipped cream on top.
- Decorate with maraschino cherries or chopped pistachios and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Amanda
OMG that color is fab, and I love the pistachio flavor!
Melanie
I don't think I've ever had pistachio cake before - now I know I need to remedy that fact!
Abeer Rizvi
Omg yes! You must make this!
Erin
I can't wait to try this cake! Fantastic flavor!
Catalina
I love pistachio and this cake looks so delicious!
Kimberly
I love pistachio, this looks yummy!
Chrissie
I looooooooove pistachio cake!! I cannot wait to try this recipe!!
Sandra
This is a must-make!! Looks fantastic!
NRMU
I love financiers! I"ve made a raspberry version, but your pistachio mini cakes look fabulous, too!
Debbie Parrish
Would like to know what did you use to make it raspberry? Add the raspberry pudding?
Abeer Rizvi
Yes, you can do that and also top it off with fresh raspberries and raspberry frosting.
Samin
What can we use to replace pistachio pudding mix as it's not available in our area
Abeer Rizvi
I am sorry but it has to be that pudding mix. Have you checked online? Amazon also sells them.
luganrn
If I use the pudding kind of cake mix PLUS the pistachio pudding, would that be too much?
Abeer Rizvi
I have used a cake mix that says it already has pudding in the mix successfully. Is that what you meant?
Zeljka
We made St Patrick's Day cupcakes and they are delicious.
Thank you
Cathy Sawatzky
Great cake mix hack. Everyone loves!
Elaine
I made this, but used a buttercream frosting instead. While the cake tasted yummy, I can’t say I think the pistachio pudding added that detectable of a pistachio flavor. It pretty much just tasted like regular yellow cake. Maybe pistachio extract would be a good add for a stronger flavor. It was still tasty, and pretty!