Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake
Delicately flavored of pistachio, this delightful pistachio pudding pound cake recipe is perfect for spring. Added bonus; with lower sugar and butter content than most pound cake recipes, this is one you’ll keep coming back to!
When my kids were little every Wednesday morning I would take them to their Grandpa’s shop to visit. First they’d stop by their Grandma’s desk to say hi and she’d give them each two quarters to get a pop out of the pop machine. Then they’d go into Grandpa’s office to say hi. He kept a tin of pistachios on his desk and they’d line up to get a handful of nuts. They’d settle themselves down by the tiny television in the front office and watch Scooby Doo with Grandma and Grandpa, cracking open pistachios and slurping down a soda. They’ve all outgrown this ritual now, but because of their Wednesday morning snack runs, all of my kids have developed a love of pistachios…and Scooby Doo.
Today’s cake is a recipe that I developed just for my kids. This was one that nobody complained about one bit as I worked to get it just right. I think that I made it 4-5 times before I got it tweaked to perfection and it’s now my daughter’s and my stepfather’s favorite.
Unassuming from the outside, this tender cake has a wonderful pistachio flavor inside. To achieve this flavor, I used two boxes of pistachio pudding. Pudding is a wonderful addition to cake. It keeps the cake dense and moist, plus it’s incredibly affordable with a long shelf life, so it’s a good thing to keep in the pantry. This pistachio pudding pound cake is a lighter version of pound cake, not healthy mind you, but it has much less sugar and butter than most versions. If you are a pistachio lover like we are, I guarantee you’re going to love this one.
Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake
This pistachio pudding pound cake is wonderfully dense and moist inside with a delicate pistachio flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, , softened to room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 small boxes instant pistachio pudding mix
- 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 Tablespoons of milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating one at a time. Then add both boxes of pistachio pudding, beat until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the flour.
- Prepare 2 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Divide the cake batter between the 2 loaf pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
- Whisk together the confectioners sugar with vanilla and milk until smooth and lump free. Drizzle over the cakes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 18 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 295
Hi wanted to know if I can use almond milk instead of buttermilk. I can’t have dairy.
Yes, you can use almond milk instead of buttermilk. But you’ll need to make sure you’re using unsweetened almond milk. And to give it a more buttermilk flavor, add a tiny splash of lemon juice or vinegar to the almond milk. The almond milk won’t be as thick, but the acid will help replicate that buttermilk flavor. Hope this helps!
Amy D.
@Charmaine, Thank you will try it and let you know how it came out.
I just finally got it out of the oven. As I was baking it, I realized that I didn’t have powdered sugar for the icing, so I made some old fashioned buttercream icing. It took almost 12 minutes more than the time you listed for the cakes to be done in the middle, but the smell in the house is divine. Can’t wait to try this thing!
I made this tonight to bring to my daughter’s work tomorrow. Instead of 2 loaf pans, I used a standard bundt pan and added 15 minutes. Because serving it sliced is only the polite thing to do 😉 we did get to try a piece (how convenient, right?). It’s delicious! I added about one cup of chopped pistachios because I was lucky to have some in the freezer, and why not? This one is a keeper for us!
Lovely! If I had chopped pistachios laying around I would add them too. So glad this one has made it into your keeper pile Marya.
Do you think this recipe could be doubled and put in a 9 x 13 pan for a cake that could serve more people?
Hi Ronda, thanks for your question. I’m not sure that a 9×13 pan would work the best for this cake. However, I do think that a bundt or a tube pan might be a good alternative, though I would be cautious about checking the doneness of the cake. It might take longer to bake in this kind of pan. Hope that helps you and hope that you enjoy the cake!
Pistachios are my snack of choice, so this is a natural evolution. This cake looks stellar!
I just let out a little squeal of delight (the dog is looking at me funny now). Pinning and loving!
This cake looks so good! I love all the pistachio flavor and pudding is great way to keep a cake moist.
You cake looks so tender and your story reminded me of how much my late father loved Iranian pistachios… When he was ill I would stop at the Persian shop in my office building, and buy a jar at least twice a week. In the evening I would join him popping pistachios 🙂
Pistachios are one of those things that are just fun to eat. Some nuts are a lot of work and a hassle to shell, but pistachios aren’t, they’re kind of relaxing. I like your story of your memory with your dad, thanks so much for sharing it with me.
This cake looks great! Love pistachio!
Thanks Megan! I hope that you enjoy it!
I love pound cake and the addition of the pistachio pudding rocks!
Thanks Nicole, hope you enjoy it!
Mmm this looks delicious! Thanks for sharing. ?
This is just as good as it looks!
I’m glad that you guys liked it! 🙂
I love pound cake but hardly ever make it. This one sounds delicious. I love the tradition your kids had of spending their Wednesday morning with the grandparents. It’s something they will remember for sure.
Yeah, me too, Kathie. But really homemade pound cake is one of those things that sounds like more work than it actually is. I’m working on another pound cake recipe right now that you are going to love!