Featured comment:
Made the cardamom pistachio pound cake on two occasions with vastly different crowds and it was hailed as the best cake on the sweet table!! Thank you, great recipe. ~Heather
My pistachio cardamom pound cake is a delicious way to showcase two flavors that go hand in hand in so many recipes from India and the Middle East. You’ll find the cardamom pistachio combination in ice cream (kulfi,) rice puddings, cakes, candies and cookies. This easy quick bread is a wonderful choice for baking and sharing because while it has an exotic flair, the glazed pound cake format is familiar and comforting. It’s a fun cake with a fresh flavor profile that will bring a little something new to your baking routine.
related: French Pistachio Cake
cardamom pistachio pound cake ingredients
I used lots of fresh shelled pistachios in my pound cake, with cardamom in the batter and the glaze.
- pistachio nuts
- I finely grind the pistachios in my food processor and this adds flavor and texture to the cake. The ground nuts act almost like additional flour, and serve to loosen the crumb of the cake.
- butter
- sugar
- regular sugar for the cake and powdered sugar for the glaze.
- eggs
- buttermilk
- buttermilk makes such a soft tender cake, why would you bake with anything else?
- flour
- baking powder and salt
- vanilla extract
- ground cardamom
- if your cardamom has been hanging around your kitchen for year, please go out and buy a fresh jar. The aroma of this spice is out of this world and you want it at its best.
Why cardamom?
Every spice is unique, but there’s something extra unique about cardamom! It’s used both whole and ground in lots of sweet and savory dishes and adds a warm, slightly citrusy flavor to curries, rice dishes, baked goods, and beverages like chai tea. Think of it as a softer version of cinnamon, and I love the way the aromatic flavor lingers on the palate. It gives this pound cake a distinctive personality.
I have a particular fondness for cardamom, and some of my favorite recipes feature it:
Pistachios are freshest in their shells, and it doesn’t take long to shell them because their shells pop open naturally as they ripen. But definitely used shelled nuts if that’s all you have. Look for unsalted nuts, if you can find them.
If you’re really into pistachios, look for Bronte pistachios or Pistacchio di Bronte from Italy that are particularly famous for their vibrant green color, rich flavor, and unique aroma, attributed to the volcanic soil and climate conditions of the region. Bronte pistachios have a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, which signifies their geographical origin and ensures their quality and authenticity.
I love the parrot green color of these nuts ~ this is definitely not the same old same old pound cake, that’s for sure. I use cardamom in both in the cake and in the frosting, and although it’s definitely assertive, it’s not at all overwhelming. I can’t get enough cardamom. Is everybody with me on this? I love the color, the floral aroma, the mellow complex flavor…and it doesn’t overpower the way cinnamon can. The cardamom allows the pistachio flavor to shine through. This is a GREAT cake!
Pistachio Cardamom Pound Cake
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
- parchment paper optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled pistachios, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp rounded, ground cardamom
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt, omit if you use salted butter
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
glaze
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
- 2-3 Tbsp buttermilk for thinning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F Lightly butter a 9×5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper with long ends so you can lift the bread out later for glazing and slicing.
- Divide the pistachios in half. Using a food processor (a small one works well) grind half of the nuts into a fine meal. Set aside. Grind the remaining half more coarsely and set aside. You should have about 1/2 cup of each.
- Put the sugar, butter, vanilla and cardamom into a stand mixer and cream until light and fluffy ~ a full 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
- Beat in each of the eggs, one by one, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Continue beating for another 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, all the pistachios, baking powder, and salt and add to the mixer, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Finish mixing by hand, to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed, but don’t over beat.
- Turn the batter into the prepared pan, spread out evenly, and bake on the center rack for 55-60 minutes, or until fully risen and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine.)
- Cool for a few minutes in the pan, and then remove to a rack.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together and spread it over the cake when it is almost completely cool. Dust with crushed pistachio nuts.
- This cake keeps well at room temperature. Don't slice until ready to serve or it can start to dry out. Freeze for longer storage.
In love with this! Is there a way to appropriate this recipe to muffins or even mini muffins for my prescholer??
You can try, Cassie. Pound cake has a denser texture than muffins, though, so just be aware of that.
I just made this recipe and was a bit disappointed that it did not rise. I went back to scrutinize the recipe and was wondering why you only used 1/4 tsp of baking powder? I always thought that for each cup of flour one should add 1 tsp of baking powder. I’m thinking this might have been the cause. Just asking. It does taste delicious in spite of the looks and I will attempt it again.
I checked some of my other pound cake recipes and that’s what I often use, combined with a bit of baking soda, too. Pound cakes don’t generally rise as much as regular cakes because of their dense texture. You could certainly try a little more next time, and make sure to cream the butter and sugar together until really light and fluffy.
Just found this pic via Pinterest and am so glad I didn’t miss it! Will definitely bake such a cake for the weekend and hope it will look (and taste!) as delicious as yours!
Has anyone tried subbing gluten free flour mix in this recipe?
I am interested in making this for a friend of mine but he is vegetarian and does not eat eggs. Do you think I can get away with using ‘flax eggs’ instead? Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!
I wish I had an answer but I’ve never used flax eggs, Pat. My best advice is to give it a try!
You could try adding Lightly soaked chia seeds to help it bind instead of eggs, it might add a little texture too! Experiment with the amounts of chia seed and water to get it right!?
I made this recipe again today. As always, I’m amazed at how truly perfect it is. I’m tempted to try to work some rose water into the glaze for a middle eastern twist but the original recipe is so lovely that I’m loathe to mess with it!
I ended up adding a bit of rose water after all and it was lovely! I’m thinking of adapting this recipe as a cake instead of a loaf and working the cardamom/rose water combo into a Swiss buttercream, tinted light pink, with pistachios sprinkled on the top… I have a friend in mind who would probably be thrilled with this as a birthday cake.
Your alterations sound fabulous, I love the thought of the pink tinted icing with the pistachios!
Hi!
I made this yesterday for a get together with 20 friends and it was a HUGE HIT!! i mean absolutely every single one of them was begging for more and asking for the recipe!!! it was so so sooooo goood!!!! THANK YOU!!!
I made the following changes: increased the ground pistachios to 1 cup and omitted the food colouring all together. i put the roughly chopped 1/2 a cup as well!
I also did not put the icing on top. instead i made a vanilla bean cardamom whipped cream and some dried isphahan rose petals. it was AMAZING! i would, however, reduce the sugar to 3/4 of a cup the next time.
I will be making this again and again!! thank u again for the amazing recipe!
Love,
Elly from Singapore!
I love this! I am a huge cardamom freak, but I’ve never had it with pistachios. Must try! Such lovely photos too.
oh, i like this a lot, sue! pistachios give great color, crunch, AND flavor!
Wow, this is gorgeous and so unusual! I am a sucker for cardamom in anything, but this looks like a particularly good idea!