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–+ servings
Overhead shot of lemon pistachio cake cut into squares.

Lemon Pistachio Cake With Lemon Glaze

This Lemon Pistachio Cake With Lemon Glaze is a moist, fluffy cake with a crunchy pistachio topping and a tart lemon glaze drizzle. It has lemon zest in the batter and in the glaze on top of the cake. The pistachio crumble adds a perfect crunch and pairs so well with the zesty lemon flavor in the cake and glaze! This is the perfect snack cake and one that you will find yourself nibbling on all day!
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes
Total Time 53 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16
Calories 217 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Pistachio Crumble:

  • ½ cup dry roasted and salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup buttermilk

For the Lemon Glaze:

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Juice of one lemon

Instructions
 

For the Pistachio Crumble:

  • Combine the pistachios, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
    ½ cup dry roasted and salted pistachios, coarsely chopped, ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 325° F. Coat a 8-inch square cake pan with cookie spray and parchment paper, if desired.
  • In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
    2 cups cake flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • In a separate medium sized bowl, add the sugar, butter, zest, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended.
    ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, Zest of one lemon, ¾ cup sugar
  • Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture a little at a time alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until almost combined. Finish mixing by folding in any remaining dry ingredients with a rubber spatula, just until dry ingredients are incorporated.
    1 cup buttermilk
  • Spread batter into prepared 8-inch square cake pan. Sprinkle batter with crumb mixture. Gently press crumb mixture into top of batter.
  • Bake in the 325° F oven for 40-43 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer pan to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cut into 16 squares.

For the Glaze:

  • In a medium sized bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons whipping cream, and vanilla. Stir with a whisk until fully combined. Add extra whipping cream by the tablespoonful until desired consistency for drizzling.
    1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted, Juice of one lemon, 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 29.8gProtein: 1.9gFat: 10.7gSaturated Fat: 5.8gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 146mgPotassium: 90mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 25.7gCalcium: 35mg
Keyword cake, lemon, pistachio
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