This Pistachio Bundt Cake is fragrant with spice and colorful with pistachios and dried rose petals. It’s love at first bite! Buttery, nutty, and topped with a sweet glaze, it’s a stunning cake that makes the everyday extraordinary. The easy recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection cookbook so you know it’s got to be good!

Be sure to sign up for my email… to get new recipes and ideas in your inbox!

Cut Pistachio Bundt Cake

SAVE this recipe to Pinterest!

This post is sponsored by Clarkson Potter. All views, opinions, and love of all things Martha Stewart are all my own. Thanks for supporting the brands we love.

Show Stopper Pistachio Bundt Cake

Who doesn’t love cake?! It’s the one dessert that you know will be welcomed for any occasion. From birthdays to weddings and holidays, it just doesn’t feel like a celebration without cake. This delicious Pistachio Bundt Cake with cardamom and rose petals would be the perfect addition to almost any celebration. The green from the pistachios and pinkish-red from the dried rose petals make it suitable for Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter or Mother’s Day…….not to mention, a bridal or baby shower, brunch, birthday or just because it’s Friday!!

Bundt cakes are one of my favorites because they look so pretty with minimal effort and are always a show stopper. Thanks to the bundt pan and all its curves and crevices, this cake doesn’t need a lot of decoration. Drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze and chopped pistachios and dried rose petals on top and you have a delightful dessert that will WOW any crowd.

Pistachio Bundt Cake with cut piece and Martha Stewart cookbook along side

Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection Cookbook

This recipe comes from the newly released cookbook, Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection. If anyone can get away with claiming “perfection” when it comes to cakes, it’s Martha Stewart!  There are 125 recipes for all occasions, featuring exciting flavors, must-try designs, and dependable techniques.  I bookmarked about 10 cakes right away.

I love how Martha Stewart demystifies even the most extraordinary creations with her guidance and tricks for delicious cake perfection – even the most impressive, towering cakes will be in your reach. 

If everyday cakes and sheet cakes are more your style, this cookbook includes plenty of kick-off-your-shoes, weekday-baking, anytime cake recipes, like this Pistachio Bundt Cake.

bundt cake ingredients laid out on a striped towel

How To Make A Pistachio Bundt Cake From Scratch

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)

There’s nothing artificial in this delicious pistachio bundt cake. Made from scratch with real pistachios, ground cardamom, and almond extract this pretty cake is adorned with a sweet glaze and edible rose petals. 

Ingredients for Martha Stewart’s Pistachio-Cardamom Bundt Cake

  • unsalted butter, room temperature –  room temp butter will blend more easily with the sugar. Take it out about 30 minutes before baking. You should be able to press it with your finger, but not so malleable that it melts.
  • all-purpose flour  – should be measured by whisking the flour aerate, then spoon it into a measuring cup and use a straight edge, like a dinner knife to level off the top.
  • shelled pistachios – use unsalted if you can. For a vivid-green color, seek out the blanched Sicilian variety of pistachios
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • kosher salt
  • ground cardamom – Green cardamom has a zesty citrus flavor that can be sweet and spicy at the same time. It’s a pretty strong and aromatic spice, so a little bit goes a long way. (NOTE: black cardamom is better for savory dishes)
  • granulated sugar
  • large eggs, room temperature – eggs will blend better with other ingredients at room temp. If you forget to take them out 30 mins before baking, you can soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes to get the chill off.
  • buttermilk
  • almond extract – this is not in the original recipe, but pistachios pair wonderfully with almond so I had to add just a little to the cake and icing.

grease and flour a bundt pan

What Is The Best Way To Grease A Bundt Pan

Bundt cake pans are known for their beauty, but their detailed designs can be hard to grease, making them notorious for sticking.

This is the one time you will want to skip the non-stick spray and use butter and flour. The secret to getting your Bundt cake out of the pan cleanly every time is to use a pastry brush to apply softened butter to all the nooks and crannies of a nonstick pan. (NOTE: if you don’t have a pastry brush, you can use a paper towel)

Then add about 1/4 cup of flour, sprinkling it evenly in the bottom of the pan. Hold the pan and gently tap and rotate it to create a thin, even coating of flour inside the pan. Once the pan is covered in flour turn the pan upside down and gently tap over the sink to discard the excess flour.

chopping pistachios in food processor and mixing into flour

To Make The Pistachio Bundt Cake

Preheat your oven to 350° F with the rack in the center. Using a pastry brush, generously butter and flour a 10 or 12 cup Bundt pan. Using a food processor, pulse your pistachios until finely ground. Then, using a medium bowl, whisk together ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.

Now, in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (this should take about 3 minutes) and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Next add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, reduce the speed to low and add a little almond extract, then add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with buttermilk.

bundt cake in the pan, and out of the pan on a cooling rack

Lastly, pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake until it springs back to touch and a toothpick comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.  When you remove your cake from the oven, don’t flip it out of the pan right away! Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.  Carefully invert the pan to turn out the cake onto rack to cool completely.

icing ingredients, including rose water

For The Glaze

You will need:

  • powdered sugar sifted – sift to avoid clumps
  • almond extract – again, this was not in the original recipe, but goes so well with pistachio. It’s the only modification I made.
  • rose water (for baking) – you can buy it, make your own or use plain water if you wish.
  • whole milk 
  • shelled pistachios, finely chopped
  • dried rose petals – dried flower petals don’t have much taste, but look gorgeous when used sparingly on top of this pistachio Bundt cake.

 

Pistachio Bundt Cake with icing drizzled and garnished with dried rose petals and pistachios

MAKE THE GLAZE: In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, rose water, and milk until smooth. (For a glaze that’s more opaque, use less milk, and for a thinner glaze, use a bit more) Transfer the glaze to a measuring cup and pour over the top of the cake in a circular motion. Immediately sprinkle with chopped pistachios and rose petals. Let set for 30 minutes before slicing.

TO STORE  PISTACHIO BUNDT CAKE: To store, wrap the cake in plastic and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

HOW TO FREEZE A BUNDT CAKE: Simply allow the bundt cake to cool completely and do NOT add the glaze. Tightly wrap the cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap before placing it in the freezer for one to two months. When ready to serve, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature in the plastic wrap for 6-8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, remove the plastic wrap, drizzle with glaze and garnish. 

Pistachio Bundt Cake on a gray cake stand

GORGEOUS isn’t it?! A spectacular cake and so easy to master in your own kitchen!

Great Gift Idea

Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection is a cookbook for bakers of any level. While I enjoy baking and trying new recipes, this book inspired me with ingredients and techniques that I’ve never considered before.

You can also get the Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection Decorating Set from iGourmet to have all of the baking essentials at the ready. The contents of the decorating set are all hand-picked by Martha Stewart and her team of food editors. Bundle it with the cookbook and you have a great gift idea (be sure to grab one for yourself too!)

Martha Stewart's Cake Perfection and cake decorating supplies

Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection cookbook is certain to win a spot in any cookbook collection. 

Like This Pistachio Bundt Cake? Pin It!

pinterest-image

Bundt Cake with icing drizzled and garnished with dried rose petals and pistachios photo collage

Follow Along On Social Media

If you’re looking for even more inspiration check out the fun little group I created on Facebook, I’d love for you to join in! It’s a place where you can share YOUR favorite recipes, home tips, creative ideas and ask questions and see what’s new with TidyMom! If you’d like to check it out, you can request to join HERE.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #tidymom so I can see all the wonderful TidyMom recipes YOU make and tips YOU use!

Connect with TidyMom! Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Sign up to receive an email in your inbox for each new recipe:

FREE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION

Pistachio Bundt Cake on a gray cake stand

Pistachio Bundt Cake

Yield: 10-14 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This Pistachio Bundt Cake is fragrant with spice and colorful with pistachios and dried rose petals. A bundt that certainly knows how to put on a show, and make the everyday extraordinary.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (plus more for the pan)
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for the pan)
  • 1 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

FOR THE GLAZE

  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon rose water
  • 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons dried rose petals

Instructions

  1. MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat your oven to 350° F with rack in the center. Using a pastry brush, generously butter a 10 or 12 cup Bundt pan; dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Pulse pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. In a medium bowl, whisk together ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
  2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down side of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add almond extract, then flour in two batches, alternating with buttermilk.
  3. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake until it springs back to touch and a toothpick comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack set on a piece of parchment to cool 30 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack to cool completely.
  4. MAKE THE GLAZE: In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, rose water, and milk until smooth. (For a glaze that's more opaque, use less milk, and for a thinner glaze, use a bit more) Transfer the glaze to a measuring cup and pour over the top of the cake in a circular motion. Immediately sprinkle with chopped pistachios and rose petals. Let set for 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

To store, wrap the cake in plastic and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Reprinted from Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection © 2020 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LP. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing/Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Pistachio Bundt Cake sliced and on a cake stand