Pistachio Cranberry Cake

Pistachio Cranberry Cake

Ingredients

• For the Cake

• All-purpose flour — 2 cups (250g)
• Ground pistachios — 1 cup (120g)
• Sugar — 1 cup (200g)
• Butter, softened — 1 cup (225g)
• Eggs — 4 large
• Baking powder — 2 teaspoons
• Salt — ¼ teaspoon
• Vanilla extract — 2 teaspoons
• Milk — ½ cup (120ml)
• Fresh or dried cranberries — 1 cup (120g), lightly tossed in 1 tablespoon flour

• For the Frosting

• Cream cheese — 250g (1 block)
• Butter — ½ cup (115g), softened
• Icing sugar — 3 cups (360g)
• Vanilla — 1 teaspoon
• Crushed pistachios — ½ cup (60g)
• A handful of cranberries for decoration

Instructions 

It begins with the soft whir of your mixer waking up the kitchen as you cream together the butter and sugar. The mixture slowly becomes pale and fluffy, the kind of texture that promises a tender crumb. One by one, the eggs join the party, blending in until the batter looks smooth and silky. A splash of vanilla brings warmth, the kind that already smells like a festive table.

In another bowl, the flour waits quietly with the ground pistachios, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. When you fold these dry ingredients into the wet mixture, the batter turns a delicate shade of green, earthy and inviting. A gentle stream of milk loosens everything into a lush ribbon. The cranberries—bright little jewels—get folded in last, dotted through the batter like sparks of color.

The batter settles into a greased and lined cake tin, smoothing itself into a perfect layer. As it bakes at 170°C (340°F) for 40–50 minutes, the kitchen fills with a warm pistachio aroma touched by fruity sweetness. You’ll know it’s ready when the top springs back lightly under your fingers and a skewer comes out clean.

Once the cake cools completely, the frosting comes to life. Cream cheese and butter whip together into a cloud, soft and creamy. The icing sugar drifts in, making everything glossy and smooth. A hint of vanilla ties it all together, creating a frosting you’ll want to taste right from the bowl.

Spread it generously over the cake—thick enough to sink a spoon into—then finish with crushed pistachios and bright cranberries scattered on top. The colors melt into each other: soft green, deep red, and snowy white frosting, a cake that looks like winter celebrations wrapped in sweetness.