This pistachio cake from scratch is a delightful treat! Topped with mascarpone frosting, it’s a memorable dessert your guests will swoon over.

Learn how to make Italian pistachio cake with a dreamy, creamy frosting–with no pudding mix required!

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It’s no secret that I adore pistachio desserts. There’s something about the delightful flavor and the lovely green hue that makes them a great option for nearly any occasion.

Typically, I use pistachio pudding when making these treats, such as my holiday pistachio bread and no-bake pistachio cream pie, both of which are favorites of my readers.

And although I have a recipe for pistachio cake made with pistachio pudding, I realize not everyone wants to use pudding mixes.

So I set out to create a more traditional cake without instant pudding, inspired what you’re more likely to find in Italy or Sicily.

The result is this Italian pistachio cake, which is a tender and delicious cake that pairs perfectly with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

Pistachio Cake without Pudding Mix

In order to get the pale green color and delightful nutty flavor we all associate with pistachio baked goods, I chose to use pistachio paste in this recipe. 

I added just one drop of green food coloring, but you can omit food coloring (or add more!) if you’d like.

It’s a single layer cake, but you could easily double the recipe and create a pistachio layer cake if you prefer.

I’ve topped it with a light and fluffy mascarpone frosting, made with the creamy, soft Italian cheese, and it is perfection!

But if you want to keep things simple, you could also just give it a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.

However, I have to be honest and tell you that this mascarpone frosting is to-die-for, so I highly recommend adding it.

It’s not super sweet, so it really pairs wonderfully with the pistachio flavor of the cake.

This pistachio cake is actually a pretty simple dessert, but it’s also just plain beautiful, making it ideal for holidays such as Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day, or other special occasions like baby showers or bridal teas.

More Pistachio Recipes You’ll Love:

• No-Churn Pistachio Ice Cream
• Pistachio Pudding Cookies
• Pistachio Banana Bread
• Lemon Pistachio Cookies
• Easy Pistachio Muffins
• Pistachio Cupcakes
• Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
• No-Bake Pistachio Cheesecake

What is Pistachio Paste?

Pistachio paste, also sometimes called pistachio butter, is simply a nut butter made from nothing but pistachios. 

The pistachios are ground until a smooth paste forms. 

It’s important to note that pistachio paste (or pistachio butter) is different than pistachio cream, which typically has more ingredients added besides ground pistachios.

I bought my pistachio paste here on Amazon.

How to Make this Easy Pistachio Cake Recipe

It’s easier than you think to make this show-stopping dessert!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

For the Cake:

• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Sour cream
• Pistachio paste
• Almond extract
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Optional: Green food coloring
• Optional: Chopped Pistachios

For the Frosting:

• Mascarpone cheese
• Almond extract
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar
• Whipping cream

How to Make it:

(Full printable recipe card is located below)

Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), add softened butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed until combined well.

Next, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add remaining wet ingredients. Add sour cream, almond extract, vanilla extract, mixing well to combine.

Next, add the pistachio paste and mix to incorporate. If you’re using food coloring, add it now.

Add dry ingredients. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the pistachio mixture, mixing just until incorporated into a thick cake batter.

If you’re adding chopped pistachios, add them now.

Bake. Pour batter into a well-greased 8-inch round cake pan (you can line it with a round of parchment paper if you’d like, but I skip that step), smoothing it out evenly.

Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Carefully invert onto a serving plate and let cool completely to room temperature.

Prepare frosting. In a small mixing bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Use a handheld electric mixer to mix together until smooth.

Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.

With the mixer on medium speed, gradually pour the whipping cream into the bowl. Once it’s been incorporated, it will look a little runny.

Increase speed to medium-high for 1-3 minutes, mixing just until stiff peaks form (don’t over-mix!).

Frost the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake, then garnish with additional chopped pistachios, if desired.

Notes and Adaptations:

• I did not add chopped pistachios to my batter, because my kids don’t enjoy nuts in their cake. But feel free to add your own for some additional crunch!
• If you’re using chopped pistachio nuts, whether in the cake itself or as a garnish over the frosting, you can chop them by hand or pulse them a few times in a food processor.
• Make sure you are using pistachio paste (AKA pistachio butter), not pistachio cream. It should ideally only have pistachios listed as the sole ingredient.
• Leftovers should be covered and refrigerated.
• All-purpose flour is sometimes referred to as plain flour, and powdered sugar is sometimes referred to as confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar.
• Mascarpone cheese is a soft Italian cheese that is somewhat similar to American cream cheese, but it has a different flavor profile and is softer. It can usually be found in the refrigerated section of the average grocery store, such as Walmart, Aldi, etc. I highly recommend using it instead of regular cream cheese, if you can find it.

Be sure to save this to your dessert board on Pinterest!