Lemon Pistachio Loaf Cake

Lemon Pistachio Loaf Cake is a delicious way to make the most of citrus –– it has a tender, perfectly textured crumb and is loaded with crushed pistachios. All drizzled with a bright lemon glaze, this is the perfect nutty, tart cake that you can eat for breakfast or dessert.

INGREDIENT NOTES:

• Pistachios: You'll want raw pistachios for this recipe. Using a food processor, they get pulverized and add to the texture of the cake.
• Lemons: Lemon zest gets added into the cake, and lemon juice gets added into the icing for bright flavor all over.
• Sour cream: Helps make the cake super moist.
• Neutral oil: You can use canola, vegetable, or grapeseed.
• All purpose flour: I've only tried this recipe with all purpose flour, so cannot attest to if any other kind works (e.g. gluten free, etc.).
• Baking powder: Helps give the cake it's rise. Do not sub baking soda - it's not the same!
• Powdered sugar: This sugar combined with the lemon juice makes it sweet and tart - a perfect glaze.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:

• Whisk or spoon/spatula
• 2x medium bowls
• Standard loaf pan
• Food processor
• Measuring spoons & cups
• Parchment paper

HOW TO MAKE LEMON PISTACHIO LOAF CAKE:

Citrus loaf cakes are some of my absolute favorite because it combines delicious bright flavor with a cozy, snack-able cake. Plus, they're so easy to make (and even easier to devour).

1. Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In your food processor, pulse your pistachios until they're a crumb, some bigger chunks is ok. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground pistachios.
2. Step 2: Mix the lemon and sugar. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix together the lemon zest and granulated sugar with your hands, rubbing them together until fragrant. Doing this infuses the sugar with the lemon and really helps bring the delicious flavor through the cake.
3. Step 3: Combine the rest of the wet ingredients. To the lemon sugar, mix in the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
4. Step 4: Mix dry and wet. Add the mixed dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.
5. Step 5: Bake. Spray and line your loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour in the batter and bake at 350℉ for 50-55 minutes.
6. Step 6: Finish & glaze. When the cake is out of the oven and slightly cooled, mix together the powdered sugar, lemon, and vanilla extract. Pour over the cake and top with additional pistachios (optional).

HOW TO A STORE AND REHEAT LOAF CAKES:

This cake will stay best at room temperature for up to one week, stored in an air tight container. You can also freeze it to reheat at a much later date (and reheat in the microwave or at 250℉ in the oven).

MORE LOAF CAKE RECIPES:

• Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
• Blood Orange Olive Oil Loaf Cake
• Spiced Apple Cider Loaf Cake
• Cinnamon Swirl Streusel Loaf Cake

📖 Recipe

Lemon Pistachio Loaf Cake

Lemon Pistachio Loaf Cake is a delicious way to make the most of citrus –– it has a tender, perfectly textured crumb and is loaded with crushed pistachios. All drizzled with a bright lemon glaze, this is the perfect nutty, tart cake that you can eat for breakfast or dessert.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ¾ cup ground raw pistachios (+1 tablespoon for topping)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 large eggs room temp
• ¾ cup neutral oil
• ½ cup sour cream room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

GLAZE:

• 1 ⅔ cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 teaspoon lemon juice about 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350℉.
• In your food processor, pulse your pistachios until they're a crumb, some bigger chunks is ok. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground pistachios.
• In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix together the lemon zest and granulated sugar with your hands, rubbing them together until fragrant.
• To the lemon sugar, mix in the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
• Add the mixed dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.
• Spray and line your loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour in the batter and bake for 50-55 minutes.
• When the cake is out of the oven and slightly cooled (about 20 minutes), mix together the powdered sugar, lemon, and vanilla extract. Pour over the cake and top with additional pistachios if desired.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 637kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Loaf Cake

Author: Haley