This chocolate pistachio cake has layers of moist chocolate cake filled with white chocolate pistachio ganache made with pistachio paste and almond extract. With American chocolate buttercream frosting, it's a must-bake for any special occasion.
This chocolate pistachio cake is inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar on TikTok and Instagram. It's a milk chocolate bar filled with creamy pistachio and bits of shredded Phyllo dough, inspired by a Middle Eastern pastry called Knafeh.
This cake has a similar creamy filling without the pastry dough (you can add it though!) finished with chocolate frosting to mimic the milk chocolate shell.
If you're a pistachio lover, make these raspberry pistachio cupcakes, pistachio banana bread, and pistachio brownies too!
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What Makes This Recipe Special
- Rich chocolate cake- The cake layers use the same recipe as my chocolate crunch cake, truffle cake, and chocolate lemon cake. It's fluffy, moist, and made with coffee for a deep flavor.
- Pistachio ganache filling- The filling is white chocolate ganache with pistachio cream and almond extract for that nutty pistachio flavor. It has a natural bright green color.
Key Ingredients
- Cocoa powder- I highly recommend using dutch-processed cocoa powder for the cake and frosting. It's treated with alkali, making it taste more smooth and rich than regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Oil- I like using oil in chocolate cakes for moisture. Use canola or vegetable oil.
- Buttermilk- Adds richness and acidity, making the chocolate cake soft. You can't substitute regular milk, but Greek yogurt, sour cream, or kefir work.
- Coffee- Make sure to use hot coffee to bloom the cocoa powder, intensifying the cocoa flavor. I used fresh drip coffee, but an Americano or even heated up cold brew works. There's no noticeable coffee flavor, but if you don't want to use any, hot (nearly boiling) water works too. The chocolate flavor will be more mild.
- Pistachio cream- I used pistachio cream from the brand Luscioux at World Market. You can use pistachio paste or pistachio butter (made with only ground pistachios), but your ganache will be less sweet.
- Almond extract- Adds more sweet, nutty flavor to the ganache. Pistachio extract works too but it's harder to find in stores.
Check out my pistachio ganache recipe for more ingredient tips for the filling!
Ingredient Variations
- Dubai chocolate- Toast 50 grams of kataifi pastry (shredded phyllo) and swirl it into the warm pistachio ganache. Then fill the cake to make it like a crunchy Dubai chocolate bar in cake form!
- Frosting options- The cake is also delicious frosted with chocolate cream cheese frosting or chocolate mascarpone frosting for extra tang. This chocolate fudge frosting makes it extra decadent.
How to Make It
Ganache Filling
Step 1: Microwave heavy cream in a heatproof bowl until simmering. Whisk in the pistachio cream.
Step 2: Pour the hot mixture over white chocolate in large bowl, stirring until melted. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to thicken.
Chocolate Cake
Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Step 4: Whisk the oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla together in a separate mixing bowl.
Step 5: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, then fold with a rubber spatula until fully combined. Pour in the coffee, folding slowly. The batter will be thin.
Step 6: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake!
Step 7: Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in their pans for about 10 minutes. Then gently flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely before assembling (or the frosting will melt off).
Chocolate Buttercream
Step 8: Beat softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Step 9: Mix in the cocoa powder on low speed. Then gradually add the powdered sugar- it's normal if it looks crumbly!
Step 10: Add the vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Whip the frosting until creamy and fluffy.
Assemble the Cake
Step 11: Place 1 layer of cake on a cake stand and pipe a thick ring of frosting around the edges. Fill the center with ganache.
The ring of frosting keeps the filling from leaking out!
Step 12: Place the second cake layer on top of the first. Spread a very thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake. This is a crumb coat that helps lock in any loose crumbs so they don't show through the final layer of frosting.
Step 13: Chill the cake, and once the crumb coat is dry to the touch, add a thick final layer of frosting. Garnish with chopped pistachios and serve!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure your chilled ingredients (butter, eggs, buttermilk) are at room temperature before baking. Let them sit out for 1-2 hours so they blend smoothly into the batter.
- Use a kitchen scale. This is most important for the flour because it's easy to accidentally overmeasure with measuring cups. Using a scale ensures the most accurate results! If you don't have one, try the spoon and level method: fluff the flour in the bag, spoon it into your measuring cup without packing it down, and level it off with a flat edge like a butter knife.
- Ganache temperature. This ganache filling gets quite hard in the refrigerator. If yours gets too hard to spread, microwave it at 20 second intervals, stirring between each until it reaches a peanut butter consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chill the cake in the fridge for about an hour so the ganache and buttercream harden. Then wrap tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap, then add a layer of aluminum foil. You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices, whatever's easier for you. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes! You can make the cake layers up to 3 days ahead of time and store them in the fridge in plastic wrap. They can probably be refrigerated longer, but 3 days is on the safe side so they stay moist. You can also freeze the layers up to 3 months ahead of time (thaw out overnight in the fridge before decorating).
It's done baking when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter. Some crumbs means the cake is still moist!
What Pan Sizes Can I Use?
You have a few different pan options to bake this cake in. See the chart below for tips:
| Pan Size | Bake Time | Notes |
| Two 8-inch round pans | 25-32 minutes | Original recipe |
| Two 9-inch round pans | 20-25 minutes | Check early because of thinner layers |
| Three 6-inch round pans | 20-25 minutes | Taller layers |
| One 9x13-inch pan | 35-40 minutes | Single layer sheet cake |
| Standard cupcakes (about 24) | 18-22 minutes | Fill liners ยฝ full, fill with ganache after baking |
More Cake Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Chocolate Pistachio Cake with Pistachio Ganache
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 silicone spatula
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 offset spatula
- 1 bench scraper
- 1 cake turntable optional
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Pistachio Ganache
- 300 grams white chocolate chocolate bar or chocolate chips
- 120 grams heavy cream
- 100 grams pistachio cream
- ยผ teaspoon almond extract
Chocolate Cake
- 180 grams all purpose flour
- 290 grams granulated sugar
- 75 grams dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 120 grams vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 240 grams buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 milliliters brewed coffee hot
Chocolate Frosting
- 226 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 40 grams cocoa powder
- 360 grams powdered sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 80 grams heavy cream
Instructions
Pistachio Ganache
- Add white chocolate to a large bowl and set aside.300 grams white chocolate
- Microwave heavy cream in a heatproof bowl for 1 minute until simmering. Then whisk in the pistachio cream until smooth.120 grams heavy cream, 100 grams pistachio cream
- Pour the hot mixture and almond extract over the white chocolate, stirring until completely melted. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to thicken.ยผ teaspoon almond extract
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) and line 2 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.180 grams all purpose flour, 290 grams granulated sugar, 75 grams dutch processed cocoa powder, 1 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, ยพ teaspoon baking soda, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk the oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla together.120 grams vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 240 grams buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slowly pour the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, then fold with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
- Add the hot coffee, folding slowly. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix well. The batter will be thin.200 milliliters brewed coffee
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes. Gently flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely for about 30 minutes before assembling.
Chocolate Frosting
- Beat softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.226 grams unsalted butter
- Mix in the cocoa powder on low speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.40 grams cocoa powder
- Gradually add the powdered sugar in 3 additions, pulsing the mixer at first so there isn't a sugar cloud. It will look crumbly.360 grams powdered sugar
- Add the vanilla and salt, then stream in the heavy cream on low speed. Increase to medium, whipping until fluffy.ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract, ยผ teaspoon salt, 80 grams heavy cream
Assembly
- Add the chocolate buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Place 1 layer of cake on a cake stand and pipe a ring of frosting around it. Fill the center with ganache.
- Place the second cake layer on top with the flat side facing up. Spread a very thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) over the top and sides of the cake with a rubber spatula. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes or until the frosting feels dry.
- Add a thick final layer of frosting. Smooth it out with your offset spatula and bench scraper.
- Garnish the cake with chopped pistachios, slice, and enjoy!
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