This post may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details.
I knew once I delved into the evil, evil realm of those pistachio pudding cookies that I made last week that I was a changed girl forever. I had finally caved into trying out pudding mixes in cookies. I’m a convert, I gotta admit it. Then again, we all know that there’s no food snobbery happening around this website, so we’re cool.
When I made those cookies, I had people chiming in from all over Instagram and Facebook about how much they loved pistachio pudding cake. Of course, I had to google this right away.
Wow. Mind blown.
I also knew that I wanted to create a homemade, non-cake mix, pistachio pudding cake. This would take it over the top, I was sure. To omit the cake mix and create a gorgeous from-scratch cake would blow my mind even more.
Oh, you guys. It did.
This is, bar none, the best cake I have ever baked up. I have found Nirvana. Seventh heaven. Whatever you want to call it, this cake is the bomb. Moist, fluffy, perfect cake. This cake made me swoon. I teased you all with a photo of it last Sunday and there were more than a few of you swooning as well. I just can’t stop looking at it.
Pistachio perfection.
The icing on the cake (see what I did there?) is literally my new Pistachio Pudding Buttercream Icing recipe. There are all sorts of pistachio pudding icings out there but not a single buttercream one and you all know my fixation with buttercream icing. I didn’t want a whipped cream-based icing, I wanted a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth buttery one.
I am sure you now can all foresee more cakes in my future and there will be more coming, I have a few more ideas. I’m totally into the pudding cakes from scratch now and have a few ideas on how to make them completely from scratch, pudding included!
If you want to try cookies, my pistachio cookies using pistachio pudding are amazing and one of my favorite cookies!
Happy Baking everyone!
Love you more than pistachio pudding,
Karlynn
I’ve noticed that either people nail this cake, or it falls. If it falls, you didn’t bake it long enough. PLEASE TEST THE CAKE FOR DONENESS! TEST IN THE MIDDLE, TEST BY THE HOLE IN THE BUNDT PAN. Make sure that it’s absolutely cooked! This IS A BUNDT CAKE AND THEY TAKE FOREVER TO BAKE!!
Homemade Pistachio Pudding Cake
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 minutes
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 16
- Calories
- 307
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups of white granulated sugar
- one 99 grams package of jello instant pistachio pudding
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup chopped pistachios 1/4 cup reserved to the side for topping
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a standard Bundt pan.(the 12 cup capacity)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt then set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.Add in the DRY pistachio pudding mix and combine thoroughly.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is thoroughly incorporated.
- Mix in the chopped pistachios.
- Combine the milk, oil and vanilla extract in a large measuring cup or bowl.
- Starting with the dry ingredients, alternate pouring a third of the wet and dry ingredients into the bowl, incorporating thoroughly after each addition. You will end on the wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes after the last addition.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- I CAN’T ASSERT ENOUGH – IF YOUR CAKE FALLS, YOU DIDN’T BAKE IT ENOUGH!!! TEST IN THE CENTER AND TEST BY THE INNER HOLE IN THE BUNDT PAN.
- Invert the cake onto a baking rack to cool.
- Frost with Pistachio Pudding Buttercream Icing when the cake has completely cooled and sprinkle the remaining pistachios over the icing.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Made this recipe?
Share a photo of what you made on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thekitchenmagpie or hashtag it #thekitchenmagpie.
Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!
Learn to cook like the Kitchen Magpie
A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook
Vintage Baking to Celebrate the Festive Season!
Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky
A Modern Bakerās Guide to Old-Fashioned Desserts
The Prairie Table
Suppers, Potlucks & Socials: Crowd-Pleasing Recipes to Bring People Together
PIN THIS RECIPE to your CAKE RECIPES Boards and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
Mia says
I’ve made this recipe 4 times and it has been a hit every time! I know my oven is not ad strong as some so I baked it at 330 degrees F for 70 minutes. You need to know your oven! Don’t blame the creator if your cake falls! She warned you!
I like to top this with a lemon and powdered sugar glaze. I don’t use any measurements. Just keep mixing and adding powdered sugar until it looks how I want it. Or you could leave out the glaze and sprinkle with just the powdered sugar.
Excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Erica says
This recipe was posted first though, 2018. Busy Baker posted 2021. Had glit ch before finishing comment. Meant as not ad above.
Karlynn J says
When youāve been around as long as I have, people do tend to copy my recipes. That looks like an AI scraper site. They steal my recipes and make fake photos for them. Always just go to the bloggers you know are REAL people! That website could even be a man pretending to be a woman and stealing recipes. Itās so frustrating.
Thanks for letting me know!
Erica says
This is the exact same pistachio cake recipe ad on the busy bakers baking blog.
Trent Schermerhorn says
Iāve been making this recipe for awhile now and itās my favorite bunt loaf recipe. I donāt add frosting (doesn’t need extra sweetness). Just a simple dusting of confectioners sugar is perfect.
Iāve tried cooking from minimum to maximum timeline (60-70 mins) and more is best. Keeping in mind that no oven is the same. But, with my oven @ 60 mins not done, @ 65 appears done, but falls while cooling, and @ 70 mins perfection!
Tina says
This is my 3rd time making this cake in 2 weeks. My family loved it. I used a pistachio cream cheese frosting so it wasnāt so sweet
Yasmina says
This cake came out delicious. It did just a tiny bit but once you flip it over you don’t even notice. I would change a couple of things in the future but the taste of this cake is amazing!
Kari McCune says
My husband and I made this bundt cake on New Years Eve 2023/2024. The cake is absolutely fabulous. We did check it at 60 minutes and it was done. While not dry whatsoever I wonder if it might have been done at 55-60 min. The frosting was perfect for it.
Thank you for creating this and many more recipes.
Marykate says
The recipe really should tell you to wait at least five to 10 minutes before inverting onto the pan. The instructions make it seem like you need to do that immediately. Well, I did, and my cake fell apart. I’m extremely annoyed. I followed the directions precisely. I don’t live at high altitude. I’m an avid baker and very rarely have an issue with recipes. This screwup was completely because of the instructions. What a waste of time and money. Oh, and I need to bring this to a birthday celebration in an hour and a half, so I guess I’m going to the store to spend more money. I will never try another recipe from this website.
Christina says
Followed instructions precisely. Baked 70 minutes. Golden brown, clean knife tested, Still Fell!
Allison says
Yep mine too sigh
Alan Jones says
Pistachio Pudding Cake
I am allergic to nuts. What pudding may I use a substitute for pistachio pudding?
Thanks, Alan
g says
Is it possible, that some people have problems with falling cakes because of where they live?
Altitude can be easy for baking, but when you are on an Island, gravity can make it harder to bake cakes; perhaps cake flour instead of all purpose?
Mia says
I’ve made this recipe 4 times and it has been a hit every time! I know my oven is not ad strong as some so I baked it at 330 degrees F for 70 minutes. You need to know your oven! Don’t blame the creator if your cake falls! She warned you!
I like to top this with a lemon and powdered sugar glaze. I don’t use any measurements. Just keep mixing and adding powdered sugar until it looks how I want it. Or you could leave out the glaze and sprinkle with just the powdered sugar.
Excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing!
sabrina says
okay i have never in my entire life left a review on a recipe but i have absolutely no idea what this comments are saying!! this cake is INCREDIBLE. i get compliments every. time. i make it. itās never failed for me but here is some advice. i would beat your butter and sugar tg till VERY light and fluffy. it takes a long time but itās worth it. also i use 2% milk and a little half and half or heavy cream. the cake is absolutely delicious mine never caves and iāve made it probably around five to six times.
Christina says
Can you make this using round cake pans instead of a Bundt cake?
Thank you
Justine Nelson says
My cake was completely baked. Looking through the oven glass, it actually fell more the longer it baked. I am not a newcomer to baking. Something is wrong with this recipe. Itās a waste of expensive pistachios. I followed directions exactly. Definitely a fail.
Dawn says
Agree. Iāve made it several times now because I love the flavor, but it falls before I take it out of the over. So itās not undercooking it like the instructions warn about.
Peachy says
Made this a few times. Most times perfect. One time it stick in the pan and only the top half came out. Ironically it was perfectly baked. The last time it rose very in the pan while baking and the tester came out clean then caved in as it cooled. About to make 2 more. Hopefully they behave this time as they are Valentines Day orders
Kristin says
I would really like to make this as a layer cake for my kiddo’s birthday. Could you please provide any pertinent tips on bake times, ingredient modifications, etc? Thank you!
Veronica mancinelli says
Looks beautiful in the end, but I just canāt get over how greasy this cake is. So glad I didnāt frost it. I understand āmoistā cake but this is just straight greasy. Not sure what the point of butter AND oil was. Probably skip the oil all together and a little less butter if I were to make it again. I just canāt tolerate the grease.
laura says
has anyone made this with almond or coconut flour?
Wendy says
Hi! I really need a pistachio pudding layer cake recipe. Is there anything you might do to your recipe to change it so it will bake in layers nicely? I am trying to avoid the box cakes if possible! Thanks!
Nicole says
I made this exactly as written and it turned out perfectly! I frosted it with your pistachio buttercream and everything is just divine. This is a keeper!
Patricia says
As a very experienced baker this was a fail for me
Rick says
Like many of the reviews, baked according to directions (4 teaspoons of baking powderā¦really!), but it overflowed in the oven after 25 minutes of cooking. Despite that, I persevered and baked on. Needless to say, it fell and refused to come out of the pan in one piece. What I was able to rescue tasted quite good, but never again!
Rita says
Excellent recipe. I am making again. But without icing. I put some ice cream on .
Maria says
Awesome!!!