Vegan Pistachio Cake: Easy, Soft, and Delicious
Enjoy a moist Vegan Pistachio Cake! Our easy recipe delivers a quick, delicious vegan dessert treat perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar (make sure it’s vegan)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter (unsalted plant-based margarine works great)
- 1 1/2 cups vegan buttermilk (soy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
- 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons water)
- 1/2 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla flavoring
- 3/4 teaspoon alcohol-free almond flavoring
Extras
- 1 cup salted, dry roasted pistachios, finely chopped
- Vegan, alcohol-free green food coloring (optional)
- Vegan buttercream frosting (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Grab your vegan butter and melt it in a medium pan over medium heat. Keep stirring while it pops and sizzles. You are looking for brown bits at the bottom and a nutty smell that is just so good. Do not walk away because it can burn super fast. When it is ready, pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl and let it cool completely. I know waiting is hard, but it is really worth it.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and get your cake pans ready. I like to use three 8-inch pans, lightly greased and floured, with parchment paper at the bottom to make sure the cakes do not stick. Now, grab your pistachios and chop them up finely, but do not go overboard or you will end up with pistachio butter. I have done that. It is not what we want here.
- In a big mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Now pour in your cooled browned butter and mix it all up until it looks like wet sand. It is kind of weird looking but that is exactly what you are aiming for.
- In another bowl or measuring cup, mix the vegan buttermilk, flax eggs, vanilla flavoring, and almond flavoring until it is all combined and smooth. Make sure those flax eggs are not floating around in big clumps.
- Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry sandy mix while beating on low speed. Go slow, it does not like to come together right away, but that is totally normal. Scrape down the sides of your bowl to catch any stubborn dry bits.
- Fold in the chopped pistachios and if you want a little color pop, add just a tiny bit of green food coloring. Seriously, start small. You can always add more, but you cannot pull it back if it gets too green. I have made that mistake. Not fun.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans. Do not stress if it is not perfect, just smooth out the tops as best you can. Bake on the center rack for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If your oven is small like mine and cannot fit all the pans at once, it is totally fine to let one hang out on the counter while the others bake.
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for about 10 to 15 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges, then carefully flip them onto a cooling rack. The pans are still hot, so please be careful. Do not forget to peel off the parchment paper from the bottom of the cakes.
- Once the cakes are completely cool, you can level the tops if you want a super clean look. Spread your vegan buttercream between the layers, stack them up, and frost the outside however you like. I love the semi naked look where you can see the cake edges peeking through, but full coverage works too.