Pistachio Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
I decided to switch things up so we could eat veggies today!
In pistachio carrot cake form. OF COURSE.
I was weird about carrot cake until ten-ish years ago. Actually! I think it was at my bridal shower. We had a few carrot cupcakes and I was sold. It tasted so good. And it was probably because of my cream cheese frosting obsession!
Which I know. I’m reeeeeally running that obsession into the ground at the moment. I just can’t stop. My brain is coming up with desserts based solely on the cream cheese frosting. Like I didn’t even care about the carrot cake until I considered the cream cheese frosting.
Total game changer.
But! The biggest game changer here? For me, at least? Are the pistachios.
By now, you know that’s another obsession that I do a number on here on the blog. It’s the obsession I never expected to have, because I used to think only OLD people liked pistachios! Now I’m old and I love them. I’ll shout it from the rooftops.
Also I’ll stop saying obsession. I know.
So regular carrot cake sounded a little MEH to me. I added in some pistachios and better yet, added some into the cream cheese frosting too. This cake kind of reminds me of the pistachio cake in my first book, Seriously Delish, which I just adored. It is majorly pistachio infused and wonderful.
Since I took a few days this week to talk about things with The Pretty Dish, I’m going to shove a whole bunch of Easter recipes in your face next week! In a good way. We have a trashed up scalloped potato recipe coming, another crazy deviled egg recipe, an amazing quiche and a banana cream pie. I wanted to do a ham, but I just can’t get behind ham. No idea why. I’ll just buy one from Honeybaked and watch everyone else eat it.
While I steal all the cheesy potatoes.
Anyhoo! Back to the cake.
You guys know I don’t have much patience for layer cakes. I don’t have a ton of patience for baking in general. But I can handle cakes like this where the frosting doesn’t have to look perfect, so that’s what I went with. And even though I love cream cheese frosting, frosting isn’t my #1… so I love that there is just a touch here to make it sweet!
This cake is LOVELY. It’s so flavorful and moist (no, seriously, there is no other word to use!), with a little bit of spice and some crunch from the pistachios. The coconut might be my favorite part too.
Oh, one more thing! This adorable pan! I am in love with Nordic Ware baking pans and when I saw this, it also inspired me to do a carrot cake this year. Can’t even wait to bring it out on Easter! Cutest and just makes me want to bake.
Pistachio Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups freshly grated carrot
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup chopped pistachios I like using roasted, unsalted ones!
cream cheese frosting
- 2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup finely chopped pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (or spray with nonstick baking spray!) three 9-inch cake pans (or the ones I used were a 7 cup on top and an 8 cup on the bottom!). I'm obsessed with these carrot cake ones!
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until combined. beat in the oil, buttermilk and vanilla and almond extract until combined. Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Use a spatula to fold in the carrot, pineapple, coconut and pistachios.
- Drive the batter evenly between the 2 pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and the center is set. Let the cake cool completely.
- For the cake in this pan, I like to do a layer of frosting in the center and then a light layer on the outsides, leaving the top plain. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar before serving!
cream cheese frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Beat in the sugar until combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. Fold in the pistachios. Frost the cooled cake! I like to pop the cake in the fridge because we love cold cake!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Face-plant worthy, for sure.
53 Comments on “Pistachio Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.”
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I started eating pistachios, last year, and I didn’t know what i was missing! I love them on a cheese plate with salami, cheese, and fruit. Yummy!
I am going to try this cake!
thank you vee! i love them too!
I do love my veggies, but I’m totally loving your style of eating them today! Omg, this cake looks to-die-for!!!
thanks tori!!
Please tell us about that pretty cake stand! Also Jessica, I am obsessing over macarons at the moment. Please tell me where you have purchased good ones around the area!
it’s from anthropologie!
also, re: macarons, i haven’t bought any in a long time but gaby et jules makes the best! http://www.gabyetjules.com/
Layered cakes scare me, but I could totally handle this! Love this kinda rustic look (and I mean that in the BEST way) because it makes the delish cake shine!
i totally agree!! this is the only way i can do a layer cake, haha.
That cake looks heavenly, I must make it. I won your latest cookbook over at Biz’s blog! I am so excited!
oh my GOSH!!! yay how exciting!!!! xoxo
Did you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut in this recipe?
i used sweetened!
omg, three of my favorite things are carrot cake, cream cheese frosting, and pistachios… I have to make this! And that pan is too cute!
thanks sarah!
YUM! And that pan is the CUTEST!!
thanks ashlyn!!
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These are absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to try them.
Do you drain the pineapple first or just dump the whole can in?
ack sorry – drain it!
That’s a nice move with the pistachios. That’s a different kind of carrot cake for sure. Thanks for that innovative idea.
I will post this recipe later on my Reddit Web page at:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskRedditFood/
thank you!
I felt the same way about carrot cake and pistachios I didn’t know what I was missing!! I love that cake pan!
i love them so much too!
Cake has never been a favorite of mine but I LUV the coconut pecan that goes on German chocolate cake,so for years my mom made me the frosting for Christmas. Being very lazy a can is just as good and you can sneak a taste whenever you need a fix, just hide it in the fridge!!
hahaha love that!!!
This cake looks absolutely perfect! I love the combination of carrots and pistachios together – so delicious!
thanks natalie!
I tried a carrot walnut cake at a restaurant once and it was so yummy. I’ll try your recipe, hopefully it will turn out even better than what I had at the restaurant since it looks so amazing in the pictures that you have posted.
thanks so much tara!
The outer look of the cake (especially when it’s freshly baked) is nice looking. However, grated carrots are too big and visible. Might do look well if they’re finer. And also I’d love to have more icing. In a sense though, altogether, nice share!
incredible, you are very reliable in making delicious and nutritious food, I really intend to learn to cook to you so that my husband is satisfied, I really like your writing
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Can this be made into 2 loafs ?
This looks delicious! I’d like to make it for Easter. :) What size cake pans would you recommend for a 2 layer cake (if you’re not using the nordic ware ones)? And what would be the bake time? Thank you!
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Looks amazing ! Can this be made in a bunt cake pan?
Just made this but haven’t tasted it since it’s for Easter tomorrow, but it seems like there’s way too much cream cheese. The consistency of my icing was off, too runny and wet so I threw it away, used 1/3 the cream cheese noted in the new batch and it was much better. Also, I didn’t put in the almond extract because it wasn’t noted in the directions.
Ping back = http://trickyfact.com/maxican-brown-sugar-mayonnaise-egg-cake-recipe/
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I made this for Easter and it was amazing! Brought it to work and 2 people have already asked me for the recipe! This is a keeper! <3
But where is the trashed up scalloped potato recipe?!?
P.S. this cake was amazing-I am NOT a baker and everyone loved it, so thank you for making me look good :)
I made this yesterday and modified ingredients to make it vegan! It came out perfect!!! So delicious and everyone loved it! Also I may or may not of had some for breakfast this morning ðŸ¤
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Made it – – waaaiitttt for it – – GLUTEN FREE (only sub was the 2c of regular flour for 2c all purpose GF flour) and it was THE. BEST. Seriously, GF cakes are almost always a 100% disappointment as they get dry, don’t hold together, whatever. This was moist. Flavorful. Amazing.
Thank you again for another winner!!
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Was in the mood for a carrot cake so I found this recipe and made it and everybody went crazy for that a week later I’m making it again for Easter amazing recipe thank you so much for sharing it
I made cupcakes version for myself and they are absolutely my favourites! DELISH!
I can’t wait to make the full cake for my friends and family for the Holidays, I’m sure they will love it as much as I did!!