Pistachio Gooey Butter Cake - One layer cake, one layer of gooey butter goodness! Made with ground pistachios and a cream cheese layer, this cake is so delicious!
Coming to you once again from St. Louis is this amazing Pistachio Gooey Butter Cake.
Are you ready for my March version of gooey butter cake? This easy pistachio cake recipe is a classic take on a gooey butter cake recipe. I love how the real pistachios give it a pretty green color, and the lemon zest makes the pistachio flavor explode! If this is your first time making a gooey butter cake, you are going to quickly find that one of the best things about these cakes is how easy yet delicious dessert this cake is. It is also the perfect cake to bring to a party because it is so unique and so so so good. Remember why my father-in-law's friend always tells me, "Every stoplight is a spotlight."
For more recipes, here are some you should try!
- The Best Cinnamon Roll Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
- Gooey Butter Pumpkin Cake Without A Box Mix
- Easy Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
- Brown Butter Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Why you need to try this recipe
- Perfect for Special Occasions - I'm not telling you what a special occasion is. Could it be your birthday or St. Patrick's Day? Yes. Could it also just be the second Tuesday of the month?
- Gooey Butter Cake - Need I say more? This stuff is amazing.
- Texture - To be honest, I love this cake so much because of the texture. It is silky smooth, and the part of the cake where the cookie-like crust meets the cream cheese layer is paradise.
- Pistachios - I honestly should bake with pistachios more. I love how they taste!
Key Ingredients - pistachio gooey butter cake
Here are some essentials. If you want a full list, check out the recipe card below.
- Powdered Sugar- This is going to be a perfect little garnish on top and one of my favorite dry ingredients.
- Almond Extract- My favorite brand is this one
- Vanilla Extract- My favorite brand can be find here!
- Green Food Coloring- Personally, I do not this this is necessary. I like the natural green from the pistachios, but if you want it more green, this is the one I would use!
- Unsalted Butter- This better be room temperature. Can't have any melted butter laying around.
- Large Eggs- Room temperature as always. You will use both the egg whites and the egg yolks.
- Real Pistachios- I'm not a love of artificial pistachio flavors, but if you don't have pistachios, or a golden retriever spouse who will shell a billion pistachios for you, then you could try substituting with artificial pistachio flavors.
- Sour Cream- Listen. You got a rocking body. Reward yourself with the full fat option.
- Lemon Zest- I love me some lemon zest. Mixed with the real pistachios...OH MY GOODNESS. You are going to love it.
- All-Purpose Flour- I mean come on. All-Purpose flour is *essential*
Step By Step - Pistachio Gooey Butter Cake
Here are some helpful tips and steps to make this dreamy ooey pistachio gooey butter cake! For a full list of instructions, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page!
- Ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature unless specified otherwise. This includes eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk. Room temperature ingredients mix more easily and evenly, resulting in a smoother cake batter.
- Use a food processor to finely pulverize the real pistachios until they resemble fine crumbs or sand. You can also use a blender!
- Grease your cake pan thoroughly with baking spray or butter to prevent the cake from sticking. Line the bottom of a greased pan with a piece of parchment paper for easy removal after baking.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, CREAM the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy using a paddle attachment. The creaming method incorporates air into the mixture, resulting in a lighter texture for the cake!
- When adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter, alternate between the two, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. This helps with even mixing and helps prevent overmixing.
- Mix the batter until just combined after adding the dry ingredients. Overmixing can result in a tough cake. A few small chunks are okay; they will disappear during baking.
- Use a rubber spatula to spread the cake batter evenly in the pan for the bottom layer of the dessert. This helps the cake bake uniformly, ensuring no parts are over- or undercooked.
- Bake the cake for the allotted baking time in the preheated oven and until the edges are golden and the center is slightly jiggly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking, as it can result in a dry cake.
Expert Baking Tips
These are my tried and true tips for making this Pistachio Gooey Butter Cake!
- Gather and measure all ingredients beforehand.
- Bring eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk to room temperature.
- Preheat oven and prepare the cake pan.
- Pulverize pistachios in advance, if possible.
- Review the recipe instructions thoroughly.
- Ensure all necessary equipment is clean and ready for use.
- Plan your baking schedule to allow for chilling time after assembling the cake.
- Have extra powdered sugar and chopped pistachios on hand for garnishing.
- Double-check your pantry for any missing ingredients before starting.
What I Used To Make This Recipe
Use what I used! All these products used in my kitchen and I can't tell you how much I love them!
- Electric mixer (cute and fancy) This one is a little cheaper
- Food processor, is the large one I have, but this one is smaller and works great too!
- Large bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cake pan (9-inch) (expensive and great) cheaper and works just as well!
- Rubber spatula
- Offset spatula
- Parchment paper
Frequently Asked Questions - pistachio gooey butter cake
- My cake sunk, why? If youy gooey part of the cake sunk into the cake it can be two reasons, if you open the oven while its baking it can let the air out and make it collapse. Also if you use too much leaving agent it cant make the cake rise to fast and then collapse
- Can I make this cake ahead of time? Yes! This cake actually tastes better after chilling for a few hours, so feel free to make it a day in advance.
- How do I store leftovers? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
- Can I substitute the sour cream with something else? Yes, you can substitute sour cream with plain Greek yogurt for a similar tangy flavor and moisture in the cake.
Storing And Freezing
To store Pistachio Gooey Butter Cake, allow it to cool completely, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze individual slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 2-3 months.
Freezing - pistachio gooey butter cake
To freeze Pistachio Gooey Butter Cake, first allow it to cool completely. Then, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Place the wrapped cake in a freezer-safe bag or container and store it in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving
Need some idea's to bake up?
- Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake Recipe
- The Most Delicious Lemon Pistachio Cake Recipe
- The Ultimate Frosted Grasshopper Cookies Recipe
- Simple and Easy Pistachio Sheet Cake
- Easy Lemon Pistachio Bundt Cake
If you loved this Pistachio Gooey Butter Cake don't forget to leave a 5-star rating and a comment! I'd love to hear your feedback or answer any questions you have! Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. I post so many fun things on all platforms.
Recipe
Pistachio Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
Pistachio Cake Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted pistachios unshelled
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 zest lemon
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 large egg white room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup buttermilk at room temperature
Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Pistachio Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with Pam's Baking Spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the sides. Set aside.
- Finely pulverize the pistachios using a food processor or a blender to resemble a fine crumb or sand.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, , and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In a stand size mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, oil, and granulated sugar and lemon zest together using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer on medium-high speed, add the eggs/egg white one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
- Add the sour cream, pure vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until well combined.
- Gradually add one-third of the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with half of the buttermilk. Mix just until no more flour streaks remain. Repeat, ending with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the pulverized pistachios until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon. Set aside while you make the cream cheese topping.
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- In a medium-sized bowl, use a hand mixer on medium-high speed to beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the egg and mix on high for 30 seconds, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the vanilla extract, then gradually add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, mixing on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition. This should take a little over 1 and a half minutes to complete.
- Once combined, pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the pistachio cake batter and use a small offset spatula to spread it into an even layer, ensuring the cake is completely covered.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. The middle of the cake will still be slightly jiggly, but it's done when the edges are golden and the middle has cracked.
- When the cake is done, let it cool for 10-15 minutes, then place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours to allow the cream cheese to firm up and set.
- To garnish, dust the cake with powdered sugar and chopped pistachios.
Ella says
Made this tonight. It was delicious. We only used 2 cups of powdered sugar in the cream cheese layer and it was perfectly sweet!
Pamela says
Oh my, this was so delicious! The flavors of pistachio and almond-genius! Mine was not as gooey as I’d hoped (over baked by about 4 minutes) but still oh so good!!!
Jana says
Does the cream cheese layer have to be so liquid? How do I make them tighter?
Molly Murphy says
It shouldn't be too runny, it should be more goopy!
K gair says
One of the best cakes I’ve had and by far my husband’s favorite. New birthday cake request… that good!
Maybe from inexperience here, but make sure to remove the shells from pistachios prior to putting in food processor, we ended up using the no shell option. For the top layer, we used 2 cups powder sugar, instead of 3. It had the perfect sweetness. Lastly, use a 9” pan and place a cookie sheet below in the oven in case of overflow. Learned the hard way with our 8” 🙂 worth it ~ fun to make and so delicious! Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Molly Murphy says
Oh my gosh! I am so sorry about the pistachio! I will add that to the recipe! I am so happy that you loved it so much!
Meg says
The 'layer of buttery goodness' doesn't even have butter in?
Molly Murphy says
Great question! While the pistachio version of the gooey butter cake doesn’t call for butter in the same way a traditional one might, that rich, buttery flavor still shines through thanks to the combination of ingredients like cream cheese and the cake mix base. It all comes together to give you that irresistible, gooey texture and flavor we love in gooey butter cakes!
Stephen Kovac says
I'm trying to make these as individual portions. I'm baking them in 5 ounce ramekins. The cake layer and "butter" layer do not stay separate when baked. Any thoughts?
Molly Murphy says
I suggest adding more cake than the gooey butter part. I would probably filling half the ramekin with cake batter and then a small portion of gooey butter on top. I would try to aim for a 2:1 ratio! Let me know if that helps!
Michaela says
This is the first major baking fail I’ve had in 18years. The two layers just combined in the oven. The cream cheese mixture shrunk down to the center becoming a shriveled, brown mess before the cake layer even finished baking. Looked back at the recipe 10x and affirmed that I followed all directions and measurements. So disappointed.
Molly Murphy says
I’m so sorry this happened—I know how disappointing that must be. This recipe is designed for a 9x9 pan, so if a different size was used, that could affect the bake. It’s also important that the cream cheese layer is smooth and evenly spread to avoid sinking. Let me know if you’d like to try again, and I’m happy to help troubleshoot further!
BNS says
Hello i made this cake it was delicious the only thing that when its done the layers come out not separated , not as its shows in your photos
Fatima says
Everyone loved this! I also used 2 cups powdered sugar and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Didn’t have two distinct layers but the top was still pretty gooey- especially the center. Will remake!
Ines says
Made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious!
I halved the recipe and it worked out perfectly. It was in the oven around 22 minutes.
It was so good I immediately regretted not having made the full recipe
Sweil7 says
You write in rubber cups a cup and a quarter of flour and in the gram ingredients 1 gram of flour 😅
Molly Murphy says
Haha yep, you’re totally right—it really does say 1 gram 😅 That was a typo in the metric conversion—it should be 150 grams for 1¼ cups of flour. Thanks for catching that! I’ll get it updated!
Katie says
Hi, looking forward to making this recipe and I noticed you mentioned lemon zest was in it which I love! However, in the recipe ingredients there is no mention of lemon zest. How much and where do you include it please?
Molly Murphy says
Thank you for catching that! You put 2 teaspoon in the cake batter! I will add that!
Whitney says
WOW, this cake is delicious!! Definitely a new favorite for us! I made a dark chocolate sauce to dribble over it in addition and that was a big hit as well. So good!!
Dustin says
I was curious if you baked a puff pastry separate and let everything cool. Then place it on top of the cheese cake filling then decorate it with powder sugar and pistachios. If that would be worth it at the end or would it cause issues with the cheese cake part.
Molly Murphy says
you know, i think it could 100% work and give it like a next texutre! do it and let me know~
Whitney says
This is our new favorite dessert!! I've made it probably 6 times this past year and I never get tired of it!! It's so good! And will be making it for thanksgiving tomorrow too. 😊 I even whipped up a dark chocolate sauce to drizzle on top of each slice and mmmmmmm 👩🏻🍳😘
Maggie says
I LOVE this cake!! Made it for the first time last night and it was a hit at my local cake picnic today! I ended up baking it in a 10in springform and it came out perfect! Also made a chocolate ganache for the side that was well loved. Thank you so much!!
Richard says
Just baked this food for the first time yesterday as a birthday cake for my daughter. Everything went well and will have it this afternoon. Do you suggest serving this right out of the fridge chilled or allow it to come to room temperature first. Thank you!
Molly Murphy says
Let it sit at room temperature for 30ish minutes before!!!!