If you’re new around here then you might not know that I’m a big proponent of snacking cake. What is snacking cake you might ask? It’s a simple and delicious cake that you have around the house to snack on. Whether it’s a nosh for breakfast, late brunch, midday snack, or something sweet after dinner, snacking cake is there to fulfill your sweet cravings. This raspberry cake from the archives is still one of my favorites. If you’re looking for something salty and sweet, this peanut butter snacking cake might be the way to go. Speaking of salty and sweet, this Pistachio Zucchini Cake is a total dream come true for me. I’m a huge pistachio fan (hello favorite ice cream) and a lover of zucchini bread so I thought combining the two would be the ultimate cake.
Place the shelled pistachios and granulated sugar in a food processor and pulse until very finely ground.
**Note: You want to use unsalted pistachios for this but if you can only get your hands on salted or lightly salted, just omit the salt from the cake.**
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and the pistachio sugar until creamy and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and yogurt.
**Tip: If you want to keep this cake dairy free, this can easily be made with plant based butter and yogurt instead! It’ll work out perfectly.**
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Fold in the zucchini and then pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, milk, and lemon juice until pourable, but not too thick or too thin.
**Note: If you find that the glaze is too thin, try stirring in some more powdered sugar a bit at a time or if it’s too thick, add a splash more of milk or lemon juice.**
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Allow the glaze to set before cutting into sixteen even slices.
**Note: I prefer smaller slices so I cut it into 16 pieces but if you want bigger slices you can do 12 cuts instead.**
Enjoy right away with some coffee or tea. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch or even a sweet treat after dinner. Leftovers can be wrapped well and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.
If you’re in need of a simple yet show-stopping cake, then this one is it. Give it a try because I know you’re going to love it. Let me know what you think below and as always thank you so much for reading and following along!
Pistachio Zucchini Cake
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Mixing Bowls
- Hand mixer or Stand mixer
- 9×13 Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups shelled unsalted pistachios
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt
- 2 lemons zested and juiced
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teapsoon ground cardamom
- 1 medium zucchini grated
Topping:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the pistachios and sugar in a food processor and pulse until very finely ground.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the pistachio sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and yogurt. Then add lemon zest and lemon juice and stir until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Fold in the zucchini and then pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake until golden brown and a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, milk, and lemon juice until pourable, but not too thick or too thin. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Allow the glaze to set before cutting into sixteen even slices. Serve and enjoy!
I love these creative mash ups, and haven’t seen pistachios paired with zucchini before, at least in baking, great idea even if just for the texture and extra flavor note that pistachios bring, thank you!
I made this cake and it was a HUGE hit! Every piece served was eaten. FYI-Instructions don’t include what to do with the zest and lemon juice, but I added them after the vanilla and yogurt were mixed in.