Easy Pistachio Cake - A Tasty, Crowd-Pleasing Recipe (2024)

Pistachio pudding cake is an easy yet beautiful bundt cake that’s perfect for family gatherings, holiday dessert tables, church potlucks, and more!

Learn how easy it is to make a delicious, crowd-pleasing pistachio cake, with just a few simple ingredients!

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Everyone should have an easy cake recipe up their sleeve that can be made on short notice, but that still feels like a special dessert.

This pistachio cake is one of those perfectly easy desserts that will leave your friends and family asking for seconds!

Not only is it super easy, thanks to a yellow cake mix, but it has such delightful pistachio flavor and a lovely green hue, making it ideal for many occasions.

My pistachio bread recipe has been a hit with readers for years, and every time I make it for family and friends, people ask me for the recipe.

I recently adapted the recipe to be made in a bundt pan, and this pistachio cake was born!

It’s perfect for Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, or any of the special occasions where a beautiful and tasty dessert is in order.

Not only that, but it’s a fantastic potluck dessert idea for any gathering.

Pistachio Pudding Cake

I love making pistachio pudding desserts, because the instant pistachio pudding mix adds moisture, color, and that delightful nutty flavor to the final product.

And it’s SO easy to keep a few boxes of this simple ingredient in my pantry for a time when you’re craving something sweet.

Because this cake has some similar flavors to Watergate salad, some people refer to this as Watergate cake!

No matter what you call it, there’s no shame in using shortcut recipes to make your life simpler, and this cake is the perfect way to do that.

More Pistachio Dessert Ideas:

• No Bake Pistachio Cream Pie
• Italian Pistachio Cake
• Soft Pistachio Pudding Cookies
• Pistachio Ooey Gooey Cake
• Pistachio Banana Bread
• Easy Pistachio Whoopie Pies
• No-Churn Pistachio Ice Cream
• Homemade Pistachio Muffins
• Pistachio Muddy Buddies
• Pistachio Cupcakes with Pistachio Frosting

How to Make this Easy Pistachio Cake Recipe

You won’t believe how easy it is to whip up this pretty pistachio cake!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• Yellow cake mix
• Instant pistachio pudding mix
• Eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Sour cream
• Water
• Green food coloring (optional)

How to Make it:

(Full printable recipe card is available below)

Combine ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), add the dry ingredients of yellow cake mix and pistachio instant pudding mix.

Then add the wet ingredients of eggs, oil, and sour cream.

Mix the cake batter. Begin mixing on low speed for about 30 seconds, until a thick batter starts to form.

Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the hot water and a couple of drops of green food coloring, if you want a more vibrant green color.

Mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until batter is well-combined.

Bake. Pour batter into a bundt cake pan that’s been greased with nonstick spray or butter.

Bake at 350F for about 50-55 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 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edge of the cake from the pan, if needed.

Invert the cake onto a serving plate or wire rack and allow to cool completely.

If desired, dust the cooled cake with a bit of powdered sugar, then slice and serve.

Can You Add Frosting to Pistachio Pudding Cake?

I dust my pistachio cake with powdered sugar instead of adding frosting, because I want the pistachio flavor to really shine.

You can also warm the slices and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

However, if you want to add a drizzle of icing, you can use a cream cheese frosting or spread some Cool Whip over the top of the cake.

You can even top the frosting or Cool Whip with chopped pistachios or maraschino cherries.

For cream cheese frosting, beat together the following:

• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Up to 6 tablespoons of milk (until desired consistency is reached)

Spoon over cake, then slice and serve.

Notes and Adaptations:

• Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container or covered well with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature.
• The pudding mix generally has some nuts in it, but feel free to chop some real pistachios and add to the batter if you’d like more crunch.
• Baking with sour cream helps to ensure a moist cake. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use greek yogurt (preferably not fat free) instead.
• Yellow cake mixes give the best flavor in this delicious cake, but you can use a white cake mix in a pinch.

Check out more cake mix recipes for the holidays:

• Pecan Upside Down Cake
• Biscoff Loaf Cake
• Red Velvet Loaf Cake
• Eggnog Bundt Cake

Be sure to save this recipe to your desserts board on Pinterest!