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This retro Pistachio Pudding Cake is a recipe that our family has been making for decades! It’s made with cake mix, instant pistachio pudding, juice, ginger ale, and whipping cream.

The cake costs $5.09 to make, which is $0.43 per serving for 12 servings!

Make this cake on St. Patrick’s Day along with these Rainbow White Hot Chocolate Bombs for a fun and festive treat. This cake is also great for Spring and Easter.

Pistachio Pudding Cake

Long before blogging was a thing, Jill made a Family Cookbook, collecting all the family favorites. Aunt Nancie gave her this pistachio cake recipe that she has been making for 30+ years.

Using a cake mix that is then doctored up makes this a straightforward and delicious recipe. The cake is light, moist, and fluffy with just the right amount of nutty flavor.

You can make this pistachio cake as a single layer, 9×13-inch cake, or a double layer, 8-inch cake.

Top the cake with pistachio flavored whipped cream to put this cake over the top! You can add some food coloring to the frosting to make it a deeper green and serve it for dessert on St. Patrick’s Day.

But really this cake is a winner any time of the year for any occasion or no reason at all other than you want to make a cake!

Can you bake with pistachios?

Yes, you can! They add a nice crunch and nutty flavor to this cake and other baked items such as these Cranberry Pistachio Cookies. Or try adding them to a quick bread like this Cake Mix Banana Bread. They are a nice addition to many recipes.

Can I use roasted pistachios instead of Raw?

You can use roasted or raw pistachios in this recipe. When you roast them, that does help preserve their green color before baking. However, raw pistachios will taste just as good in this cake.

Should I add pudding to my cake mix?

Absolutely! It may seem like a strange idea at first, but adding pudding mix to your cake box mix is the secret to getting a moist cake that tastes homemade!

A close up picture of the side of the finished Pistachio Pudding Cake.

How to make Pistachio Cake recipe:

STEP ONE: First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray the baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

STEP TWO: Next, add all of the cake ingredients into a large bowl. Mix until smooth.

STEP THREE: Pour the batter into the prepared pan into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

STEP FOUR: While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Whip the frosting until stiff peaks form.

STEP FIVE: Finally, frost the cake and garnish with chopped nuts before serving.

Cook’s Tools:

handheld mixer or stand mixer
liquid measuring cup
9×13-inch baking pan or 8-inch round pans
large mixing bowl
pastry spatula

The Flavor and Recipe Variations

As a variation, you can use Cool Whip instead of the whipping cream. This will cost around $1.84.
This cake is so versatile. You can use any flavor cake mix and instant pudding mix with this recipe like lemon, vanilla, chocolate, etc.

A for digging into a slice of pistachio cake.

How long is it good for:

Serve: You can keep this pistachio pudding cake at room temperature for about 2 hours before it needs to be refrigerated.

Store: Cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Freeze: Because of the whipped cream in the pistachio pudding whipped cream frosting, we do not recommend freezing this cake.

How much will this Pistachio Pudding Cake recipe cost to make:

RECIPE COST: $5.09

PRICE PER SERVING: $0.43

15.25 oz yellow cake mix – $1.00
3 large eggs – $0.30
1/2 cup orange juice – $0.19
4 oz package instant pistachio pudding – $0.98
1/2 cup vegetable oil – $0.24
1/2 cup ginger ale – $0.04
2 cups heavy whipping cream – $2.34

To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.

An overhead picture of all of the Pistachio Pudding Cake recipe ingredients.

How to get the kids involved with this recipe:

Ages 2-3: Have your little one help pour the ingredients into a large bowl. He/she will then have fun helping you mix them.

Ages 4-5: Teach your child how to crack eggs. Our kiddos always love helping with this.

Ages 6-8: Using either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, teach your child how to make the whipped frosting. They will be doing it on their own in no time at all, especially with a stand mixer.

Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.

Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner!

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A close up picture of a slice of Pistachio Pudding Cake being cut from the cake.

Pistachio Cake

Recipe Cost 5.09

Serving Cost 0.43

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

This retro Pistachio Cake is a recipe that our family has been making for decades! It’s made with cake mix, instant pistachio pudding, juice, ginger ale, and whipping cream.

Servings: 12 people

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 1 25

Equipment

handheld mixer or Stand mixer
Liquid measuring cup
9×13-inch baking pan or 8-inch round pans
large mixing bowl
pastry spatula

Ingredients

PISTACHIO CAKE:

15.25 oz yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
½ cup orange juice
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup ginger ale
4 oz package instant pistachio pudding

PISTACHIO FROSTING:

2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 oz package instant pistachio pudding

GARNISH:

Chopped pistachios optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

PREP OVEN AND PAN:

Move oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan OR 2 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.

MIX CAKE:

In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to mix together all of the cake ingredients until combined and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl's sides as needed.

BAKE CAKE:

Pour the batter into the prepared 9×13-inch pan OR the 2 round (9-inch) cake pans. Smooth the batter into an even layer.
Bake, the 9×13-inch pan for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted, comes out clean.
Bake the 2 round 9-inch pans for 25-28 minutes.

COOL CAKE:

Place the cake on a wire rack and cool completely.

MAKE FROSTING:

Beat the whipping cream and pistachio pudding mix in a large bowl with a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.

TO FINISH:

Frost the cake with the frosting and garnish with chopped pistachios.
Slice and serve.

Nutrition

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