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Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake

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Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake

Delicately flavored of pistachio, this delightful pistachio pudding pound cake recipe is perfect for spring. Added bonus; with lower sugar and butter content than most pound cake recipes, this is one you’ll keep coming back to!

Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake

When my kids were little every Wednesday morning I would take them to their Grandpa’s shop to visit. First they’d stop by their Grandma’s desk to say hi and she’d give them each two quarters to get a pop out of the pop machine. Then they’d go into Grandpa’s office to say hi. He kept a tin of pistachios on his desk and they’d line up to get a handful of nuts. They’d settle themselves down by the tiny television in the front office and watch Scooby Doo with Grandma and Grandpa, cracking open pistachios and slurping down a soda. They’ve all outgrown this ritual now, but because of their Wednesday morning snack runs, all of my kids have developed a love of pistachios…and Scooby Doo.

Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake

Today’s cake is a recipe that I developed just for my kids. This was one that nobody complained about one bit as I worked to get it just right. I think that I made it 4-5 times before I got it tweaked to perfection and it’s now my daughter’s and my stepfather’s favorite.

Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake

Unassuming from the outside, this tender cake has a wonderful pistachio flavor inside. To achieve this flavor, I used two boxes of pistachio pudding. Pudding is a wonderful addition to cake. It keeps the cake dense and moist, plus it’s incredibly affordable with a long shelf life, so it’s a good thing to keep in the pantry.  This pistachio pudding pound cake is a lighter version of pound cake, not healthy mind you, but it has much less sugar and butter than most versions. If you are a pistachio lover like we are, I guarantee you’re going to love this one.

Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake

Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake

Pistachio Pudding Pound Cake

Yield: 18
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This pistachio pudding pound cake is wonderfully dense and moist inside with a delicate pistachio flavor. 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, , softened to room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 small boxes instant pistachio pudding mix
  • 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
  • 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 Tablespoons of milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating one at a time. Then add both boxes of pistachio pudding, beat until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Mix in the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the flour.
  5. Prepare 2 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
  6. Divide the cake batter between the 2 loaf pans.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
  9. Whisk together the confectioners sugar with vanilla and milk until smooth and lump free. Drizzle over the cakes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 18 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 295

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review or a photo! I'd love to hear your feedback!

If you love pound cake, then here’s another cake recipe for you to try! My triple butterscotch pound cake has butterscotch batter, butterscotch chips baked inside, and a totally addictive browned butter butterscotch glaze drizzled on top. It’s a butterscotch lovers dream come true. Triple Butterscotch Pound Cake

Charmaine

Monday 17th of January 2022

Hi wanted to know if I can use almond milk instead of buttermilk. I can't have dairy.

Charmaine

Monday 17th of January 2022

@Charmaine, Thank you will try it and let you know how it came out.

Amy D

Monday 17th of January 2022

Yes, you can use almond milk instead of buttermilk. But you'll need to make sure you're using unsweetened almond milk. And to give it a more buttermilk flavor, add a tiny splash of lemon juice or vinegar to the almond milk. The almond milk won't be as thick, but the acid will help replicate that buttermilk flavor. Hope this helps!

Amy D.

Jeff

Tuesday 13th of July 2021

I just finally got it out of the oven. As I was baking it, I realized that I didn't have powdered sugar for the icing, so I made some old fashioned buttercream icing. It took almost 12 minutes more than the time you listed for the cakes to be done in the middle, but the smell in the house is divine. Can't wait to try this thing!

Marya

Thursday 8th of March 2018

I made this tonight to bring to my daughter's work tomorrow. Instead of 2 loaf pans, I used a standard bundt pan and added 15 minutes. Because serving it sliced is only the polite thing to do ;) we did get to try a piece (how convenient, right?). It's delicious! I added about one cup of chopped pistachios because I was lucky to have some in the freezer, and why not? This one is a keeper for us!

Amy D

Thursday 23rd of August 2018

Lovely! If I had chopped pistachios laying around I would add them too. So glad this one has made it into your keeper pile Marya.

Ronda

Tuesday 19th of April 2016

Do you think this recipe could be doubled and put in a 9 x 13 pan for a cake that could serve more people?

Amy D

Tuesday 19th of April 2016

Hi Ronda, thanks for your question. I'm not sure that a 9x13 pan would work the best for this cake. However, I do think that a bundt or a tube pan might be a good alternative, though I would be cautious about checking the doneness of the cake. It might take longer to bake in this kind of pan. Hope that helps you and hope that you enjoy the cake!

Lisa | Garlic + Zest

Friday 15th of April 2016

Pistachios are my snack of choice, so this is a natural evolution. This cake looks stellar!

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