Vegan Pistachio Cake (with Dairy-Free Pistachio Buttercream Frosting)

This vegan pistachio cake is the perfect treat for pistachio lovers and anyone with a sweet tooth! It’s a 3-layered rich, decadent, and moist cake that includes pistachios in the batter, the dairy-free buttercream, as well as the toppings. Made entirely without eggs and dairy, it’s a delicious treat that is suitable for vegans and those with allergies.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pistachio Cake Recipe

Are you looking for a great cake recipe to bring to a party or make for your friends and family? This vegan pistachio cake is an excellent option! The pistachios give it a creamy richness and also make it a super pretty cake that’s very easy to decorate (no advanced skills needed!) It’s also fun to make and can be customized to your liking. Thanks to its vibrant green color, this vegan pistachio cake is also a great recipe to make for St. Patrick’s Day!

Ingredients You’ll Need

The following is an overview of the ingredients needed to make this vegan pistachio cake. For the exact measurements, be sure to check out the recipe card below.

• Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour (use Gluten-Free 1:1 baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free), baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, unsalted raw shelled pistachio kernels (such as Setton Farms’ Raw Pistachio Kernels), granulated white sugar.
• Wet ingredients: unsweetened soy milk, apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), sunflower seed oil, vanilla extract, vegan green food dye.
• Buttercream frosting ingredients: more unsalted raw shelled pistachio kernels, full-fat coconut cream, vanilla extract, vegan butter, powdered sugar, vegan green food dye. Note: The coconut cream should be solid and ideally refrigerated. If yours is liquid, use only half the amount indicated. Canned coconut milk won’t work as a substitute, so if you can’t find coconut cream, you can omit it, use a little more vegan butter, or use vegan cream cheese instead.
• Toppings: even more unsalted raw shelled pistachio kernels!

How to Make this Vegan Pistachio Cake (Step by Step)

Use the following section to view step by step images for this vegan pistachio cake recipe. For a recap, be sure to save the recipe card below.

Make the Batter

Start by preheating the oven to 350F and then lining 3 cake forms with parchment paper (you can also grease them).

To a mixing bowl, add the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix to form the vegan buttermilk, then add the oil, vanilla, sugar, salt, flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix again.

To a food processor, add half of the pistachios and process until crumbly. Add the other half of the pistachios and process again until one part is very crumbly and the other half is chunky (resembling chopped pistachios).

Add the pistachios and green food dye to the batter and mix until well incorporated. Next pour equal parts of the cake batter into each of the three cake forms and place on a wire rack slightly below the middle of the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, then let cool for at least 30-35 minutes.

Make the Frosting

Using either a food processor or blender, process the pistachios until you get a very fine, flour-like texture (much finer than the texture used for the batter). Next, cut the vegan butter into cubes and add it to a large mixing bowl alongside the powdered sugar, pistachios, vanilla, and coconut cream.

Using an electric mixer, mix everything until you get a smooth, creamy texture. Place the buttercream frosting in the fridge until you’re ready to decorate the cake.

TIP: The texture of the buttercream frosting might look crumbly at first. Resist the urge to add more liquid too quickly as you’ll want the final texture to be on the firmer side. If it doesn’t get creamy at all, you can add an extra teaspoon or two of coconut cream. If, on the other hand, it’s too liquid, you can either add more powdered sugar or more pistachios.

Decorate the Cake

Add a scoop of the frosting to the first cake layer and spread it out using a spatula, then repeat with the other cake layers.

Once you’ve added the final cake layer, add frosting to the sides as well.

Finally, sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top, serve, and enjoy your vegan pistachio cake!

More Vegan Recipes You Might Like

If you enjoyed this vegan pistachio cake, you might also like the following vegan recipes made with pistachios.

• Vegan Carrot Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: This delicious carrot pistachio cake recipe is the perfect mix of fluffy and moist. Paired with a vegan, lemony buttercream & cream cheese frosting, it’s the perfect cake to make for birthdays or any other celebratory occasion.
• Mini Vegan Lemon Pistachio Cupcakes: These bite-sized mini lemon pistachio cupcakes are delicious and easy to make! They’re the perfect plant-based party treat.

• Vegan Mini Rose Pistachio Cupcakes: These vegan mini rose pistachio cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties, as a little lunch box treat, for baby showers, or any other gatherings. Thanks to the pretty pastel green and pink, you can also bookmark this recipe for a Valentine’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day treat.
• Vegan Mini Quiches (With Tofu, Spinach & Pistachios): Super delicious & easy vegan mini quiches made with tofu, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, puff pastry, and pistachios. Ready in under 35 minutes, these are the perfect snack or savory breakfast option. They’re also great to meal prep and add to your weekday lunches.
• 15-Minute Creamy Pistachio Pasta: This is a 15-minute vegan pasta dish with a creamy sauce made from oat cream, vegan butter, white wine, garlic and onions, mixed with crunchy pistachios. It is served with mafaldine pasta and is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or special occasion.

Vegan Pistachio Cake – RECIPE CARD

Use this recipe card to save & print this vegan pistachio cake recipe. For additional step by step photos, be sure to read the full article above.