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The most delicious Chocolate and Pistachio Cake! This cake has incredible soft and moist pistachio cake layers covered with a delicious chocolate fudge frosting. This is an incredible flavor pairing and this chocolate and pistachio cake is bound to steal your heart and make you reach for another slice.
This chocolate and pistachio recipe is for any pistachio fans! It has delicious layers of moist pistachio cake layered together with a smooth chocolate fudge frosting that will send you straight to dessert paradise. The cake combines the rich and velvety flavor of the chocolate fudge frosting with the earthy, nutty flavor of the pistachios, resulting in a unique and delicious dessert.
This cake tastes absolutely amazing and is perfect for a party or as a birthday cake!
For more chocolate cake recipes, try Nutella Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake and Chocolate Ganache Cake.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Chocolate fudge frosting: This is the most luscious chocolate fudge frosting, that is going to be your new go-to chocolate frosting! It is quick and easy to make and it'll make you want to make this cake over and over again.
- Pistachio cake layers: These pistachio cake layers are incredibly soft and full of earthy, nutty flavor.
- Showstopper: This cake is simple in design, but a showstopper of a cake.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Pistachio: The pistachios naturally gives the most beautiful green color.
- Sour cream: Sour cream makes for a softer and more tender cake. Measure out the sour cream and let it come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how make and bake this Chocolate and Pistachio Cake. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. You will need 2 x 20 cm baking pan lined with baking paper.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven. Prepare the 2 x 20 cm baking pan lined with baking paper.
STEP 1: For the frosting, melt all of the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat. Constantly stir the mixture together as it melts together. Transfer it to a medium sized casserole dish and cover it with plastic wrap that touches the surface of the frosting. Let it cool down to room temperature in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
STEP 3: For the cake layers, blend the pistachios into a flour-like consistency. Sift together the blended pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.
STEP 4: In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, and granulated sugar and mix it on high speed for 3 minutes. Add two eggs at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.
STEP 5: Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
STEP 6: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-33 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
STEP 7: To assemble, add 2 big scoops of frosting and with an offset spatula, even it out and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes as the frosting is a bit softer. It’ll firm up a bit in the fridge making it easier to cover the remaining cake with the frosting.
STEP 8: Add the other cake layer on top and cover the whole cake in the remaining frosting. Finely decorate with chopped pistachios.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, you can make both the cake layers and the frosting the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake layers on the kitchen counter wrapped in plastic wrap, out of direct sunlight. Store the frosting in the fridge in an airtight container. Before using it, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, so it's spreadable.
You can freeze the cake layers up to 3 months. Wrap them well in plastic wrap and aluminium foil and lastly a plastic bag. When defrosting them, unwrap them and place the on a wire rack to defrost at room temperature.
I recommend using a cake tester or toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
HOW TO STORE
Store this Chocolate and Pistachio Cake in the fridge covered by a lid or in an airtight container. When wanting to eat it, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. It's best enjoyed within a 2-3 days.
Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Moist Chocolate and Pistachio Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
- 110 g granulated sugar
- 225 g butter cut into small cubes
- 285 g semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
- 225 g heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
PISTACHIO CAKE LAYERS
- 100 g unsalted pistachios + extra for decoration
- 260 g all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 180 g butter room temperature
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 240 g sour cream room temperature
- 60 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
- Melt all of the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat. With a rubber spatula, constantly stir the mixture together as it melts together. Once all of it has melted and combined, transfer it to a medium sized casserole dish, so it can cool down faster, and cover it with plastic wrap that touches the surface of the frosting.110 g granulated sugar, 225 g butter, 285 g semi-sweet dark chocolate chips, 225 g heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Let it cool down to room temperature in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Give it a gentle stir at 1 hour to make sure it cools down evenly. When ready to be used it’ll have a softer texture but it should be able to hold its shape.
- Note: If it looks a bit grainy then take about 4 tablespoons of the frosting and reheat it in the microwave until melted, takes about 10-15 seconds. Then pour it back to the rest of the frosting and fold it together. Do it once more if needed and it will be smooth again. When ready to be used it’ll have a softer texture but it should be able to hold its shape. If it becomes too soft, let it sit on the kitchen counter, out of sunlight, for 30 minutes and it’ll firm up slightly.
PISTACHIO CAKE
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC conventional oven and prepare 2 x20 cm baking pan with parchment paper.
- Start by blending the pistachios into a flour-like consistency.100 g unsalted pistachios
- Sift together the blended pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.260 g all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, and granulated sugar and mix it on high speed for 3 minutes.300 g granulated sugar, 180 g butter
- Add the eggs two at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined.4 large eggs
- Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, on low speed, mixing until just combined.
- Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.240 g sour cream, 60 g vegetable oil, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-33 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.
ASSEMBLING
- Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
- Add 2 big scoops of frosting and with an offset spatula, even it out and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes as the frosting is a bit softer. It’ll firm up a bit in the fridge making it easier to cover the remaining cake with the frosting.
- Add the other cake layer on top and cover the whole cake in the remaining frosting. To finish with decorate with chopped pistachios.
Naveed
Hi. Will regular vegetable oil be okay? Thanks
Julie Marie
Yes, that's no problem 🙂
Vinotha
Can I substitute sour cream with full fat Greek yoghurt?
Julie Marie
yes absolutely 🙂