Vanilla Pistachio Loaf with Pistachio Frosting
Published 3/15/2024 • Updated 4/29/2024
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Treat yourself with our Vanilla Pistachio Loaf with Pistachio Frosting – it’s a seriously flavor-packed delight! This moist, fluffy loaf cake is filled with chopped pistachios and topped with a creamy frosting infused with blended pistachios.
Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or just want something sweet, this recipe is will hit the treat spot 😀
Ohhh my gosh, this pistachio loaf is truly my new favorite cake. It’s a super moist loaf cake thats bursting with nutty pistachio flavor! You’ll get chopped pistachios baked into the loaf and blended pistachios in the frosting, which means amazing pistachio flavor in every single bite. And can we talk about how stunning she is?
Pistachio Loaf Ingredients
- Chopped pistachios: The star of the show! Chopped pistachios add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor to the loaf. Save some extra to sprinkle on the top 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
- All-purpose flour: The base for this cake batter provides structure for the batter without being too overly dense.
- Baking powder: Gives the loaf its light and airy texture by helping it rise during baking.
- Kosher salt: Brings out the flavors of the other ingredients and balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and moisture to the loaf, don’t skip it.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the loaf and helps create a golden-brown crust.
- Vanilla extract: Infuses the loaf with warm sweetness.
- Eggs: Binds the ingredients together. We have not tested this recipe with a flax egg.
- Almond milk: Provides moisture to the batter with a neutral flavor profile.
Pistachio Frosting Ingredients
- Pistachios: Again, the star of the show! Pistachios provide a rich, nutty flavor to the frosting.
- Unsalted butter: It’s essential for creating a creamy and smooth texture in the frosting. Make sure it’s softened!
- Vanilla extract: Adds a hint of warm sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: Helps to create a smooth consistency, perfect for spreading.
- Sea salt: Balances out the sweetness. All you need is a pinch!
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and creaminess to the frosting; we don’t recommend skipping this!
Is this pistachio loaf cake super sweet?
We wanted to create a loaf cake that wasn’t TOO overly sweet so that you could really taste and enjoy the nutty pistachio flavors. If you like a sweeter cake, feel free to go crazy with a thick layer of frosting on top!
Can you make pistachio nut butter?
Yes! Why not whip up a batch of rich pistachio nut butter while you have your food processor out for this frosting. We have a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ pistachio butter recipe that you’ll love as much as we do 😏
Top Tips for this Pistachio Loaf
- The bake time may vary depending on If you are baking at altitude. Use the toothpick trick and adjust bake time accordingly.
- In steps 4 and 5, be sure not to over-mix the batter. If you over-mix you may end up with a dense loaf. No one wants a dense loaf!
- Every oven is different. In step 6, you have the option to turn the loaf pan 180º depending on if your oven bakes unevenly.
- Cutting a line down the middle of the loaf before baking ensures that a crease will be baked on the top of the bread. It’s fully for aesthetics, but we love how it looks 😀
- Allow the cake to fully cool before frosting: You must wait for the cake to cool completely or the frosting will melt to the sides of the cake.
Our Favorite
Beast Blender
The Beast Blender is our go-to blender for smoothies, dips, soups, and everything in between. It’s the perfect size and moderately priced. Oh, and oh-so powerful!
Easy Ingredient Swaps
Almond milk –> any variety of milk: unsweetened, plain almond milk gives a neutral flavor, but feel free to substitute 1:1 for your milk of choice.
Unsalted butter –> salted butter: if you substitute for salted butter, please skip the salt in the batter and the frosting.
All-purpose flour –> GF 1:1 flour: we have not tested this with GF flour, but should you want to keep this flour gluten free, substitute the all-purpose flour for 1:1 GF flour. Let us know how it goes!
try it!
Coconut Loaf Cake
Love this pistachio loaf cake? Then you HAVE to try our light and fluffy coconut loaf cake recipe.
Storage + Freezer Instructions
Store this pistachio loaf cake in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze this pistachio loaf? If you’re planning to freeze this loaf cake, we suggest freezing it before frosting. Let the cake cool completely and then tightly wrap it with a piece of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, and frost after allowing to thaw when you’re ready to serve.
Vanilla Pistachio Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
Dry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped pistachios, +2 tablespoons for topping
Wet
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature*
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup almond milk
Frosting
- ½ cup raw pistachios
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Optional Toppings
- Leftover pistachio paste crumbles
- Flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients together in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a separate large bowl until light and fluffy with an electric or stand mixer.
- Add one egg to the creamed mixture at a time until incorporated.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix with the electric mixture until incorporated. Slowly add the almond milk to the mixture until the batter is thick but pourable.
- Pour the batter into the lined pan and sprinkle the chopped pistachios on the top of the loaf. Use a butter knife to create a line down the middle of the loaf. Bake for 50-60 minutes.*
- Remove the loaf from the oven when the life comes out clean or almost clean. Let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes (it will continue to bake). Remove the loaf from the pan and let it rest and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- While the loaf is cooling, prepare the buttercream frosting. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the pistachios. Toast the pistachios for 4-5 minutes, toasting until golden, purple, and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the pistachios to a small food processor, blender, or clean coffee grinder. Process the pistachios until they turn into a paste (similar to a nut butter). Set aside.
- Use an electric or standing mixer and beat the butter, heavy cream and vanilla until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar to the frosting and beat on low until smooth and combined.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pistachio paste to the frosting and mix on low until combined. The frosting will have bits of pistachio and may turn green depending on what type of pistachios are used. Option to add more pistachio paste here for a more pistachio flavor or color. Set aside extra pistachio paste for topping later.
- When the loaf is cool, frost the top of the loaf and sprinkle any extra pistachio paste on top of the frosting. Enjoy.
Tips & Notes
- The bake time may vary depending on If you are baking at altitude. Adjust accordingly.
- In steps 4 and 5, be sure not to overmix the batter. If you over-mix you may end up with a dense loaf. You want it to be light and fluffy.
- Every oven is different. In step 6, you have the option to turn the loaf pan 180º depending on if your oven bakes unevenly.
- Cutting a line down the middle of the loaf before baking ensures that a crease will be baked on the top of the bread. It’s fully for aesthetics, feel free to skip.
- The longer you keep the loaf in the loaf pan in step 7, the more it will bake. To keep the loaf from overbaking, remove it from the pan after 5 minutes.
- If the pistachios aren’t blending into a paste or nut butter it could be because they were not toasted long enough.
- We used a beast blender to make the pistachio paste.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
Where am I using the heavy whopping cream? I went through the recipe and after finalizing it, I realized the instructions didn’t really say?! Either way, turned out great 😁
Thank you for catching this! We’ve updated the recipe instructions to add the heavy cream in step 10 🙂
For the dry ingredients are you using roasted or raw pistachios? Thank you, trying this weekend! 😊
Raw!!
Delish! Used eight mini loaf pan and baked 25 min. Thanks so much for a great spin on pistachios.