This chocolate pistachio cake has deep chocolatey cake layers packed with chopped pistachios and a super dreamy pistachio buttercream! This pistachio and chocolate cake is perfect for Dubai chocolate lovers (or basically anyone who loves pistachio and chocolate!)

A slice of pistachio chocolate cake on a small plate.

Look, you might be tired of the whole Dubai chocolate trend, but as a pistachio lover, I'm loving it. This chocolate pistachio cake is like a layer cake version of my chocolate walnut cake, but with pistachios!

The moist chocolate cake layers stay soft for days thanks to the buttermilk and neutral oil. I've then stirred in finely chopped pistachios to get even more pistachio flavor! The pistachio frosting is made with pistachio paste to get that beautiful color and taste.

I did a poll over on my Instagram to see if you guys wanted me to use pistachio paste or ground pistachios and of course, it was a 50:50 vote! So I decided to use actual pistachios in the cake and pistachio cream in the frosting.

Plus, using pistachio cream in the buttercream meant the frosting would naturally be green (no need for food dye!) and wouldn't be too gritty. If you want a cookie version of this cake, you need to try my chocolate pistachio cookies!

Use These Key Ingredients

All the ingredients needed to make pistachio chocolate cake, weighed out into small bowls.

Pistachios: Make sure you're using unsalted pistachios! I recommend blitzing them briefly in a food processor or finely chopping them with a knife.
Cocoa Powder: You want to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder and not natural cocoa powder (natural cocoa powder reacts differently to baking soda and baking powder). Dutch-processed cocoa powder is also way more chocolatey and rich.
Pistachio Paste: I've tested this recipe with the Pisti brand of pistachio cream that you can find at Costco.

Let's Make This Cake!

A bowl with a whisk and flour and cocoa powder.

Step 1: Preheat your oven and grease and line two 8-inch cake pans. In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.

Chocolate cake batter with a silver whisk in a glass bowl.

Step 2: Whisk the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl or a large jug. Pour the wet ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. Pour in the hot water and mix once more.

Chocolate cake batter with crushed pistachios, with a silver whisk in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Stir in the chopped pistachios.

Two round cake pans with unbaked chocolate cake batter.

Step 4: Pour the cake batter into your prepared pans and bake in the oven. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 5: Beat the butter and confectioners' sugar in a stand mixer. Add the pistachio cream, vanilla, and salt. Mix until light and fluffy. Slowly pour in the heavy cream until it is your preferred consistency.

A pistachio frosted cake on a cake stand.

Step 6: Frost your cake and enjoy!

Frosting & Assembling Your Cake

Place the first cake layer down on your cake plate.
Evenly cover the top of the cake with some of your pistachio buttercream.
Place the second layer on top. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Drizzle over some melted pistachio butter and sprinkle over some chopped pistachios.

A slice of chocolate pistachio cake being lifted out with a silver cake server.

Pistachio Paste Versus Butter

I've tested the frosting with Pisti pistachio cream spread, which you can get at Costco. This type of spread is made with ground pistachios, sweeteners, and oil.

Pistachio butter, on the other han,d is just ground pistachios and isn't sweet. So before you add your pistachio spread to the frosting, check the ingredients label!