Today I am sharing a wonderful cake my best friend made for our family during her last visit to Georgia – Pistachio Bundt Cake!
This recipe is quick, easy and oh so good! A super moist cake, full of flavor that can be served year round, for so many occasions. This awesome dessert is sure to get rave reviews from family and friends and become a new favorite!
This shortcut cake recipe is a cinch to make, calling for just a few ingredients. The secret to the moistness are five eggs and pistachio pudding!
As a 70’s kid, I’m pretty sure this cake originated in the 1960s or early 1970s, it’s similar to the Watergate Cake. This Pistachio Cake is a wonderful throwback dessert that remains a staple in many families decades later. If you grew up with this, please share your memories and the history of the cake in your family.
Sandi makes this family-favorite dessert during the holidays, but it’s also perfect for spring, especially for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations. This cake is perfect for brunches, luncheons, parties, potlucks and other gatherings.
This cake is so good, it doesn’t even need frosting, just a dusting of powdered sugar to make it pretty. If you are someone that loves/needs frosting, I added a Dream Whip frosting recipe below, often used with Pistachio Cake.
Pinnable Image
Mrs. D’s Pistachio Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box of white cake mix
- 1 cup of water
- 2 (3.4 ounces each) Pistachio Instant Pudding mix
- 1/2 cup of oil (canola or vegetable)
- 5 large eggs
- Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a bundt cake pan with non-stick cooking spray, making sure it is coated well.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the first four ingredients together, then add one egg at a time, beating into the mix. Mix for 2 minutes.
Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake on middle rack of oven for 55-60 minutes (adjust baking time according to how fast/slow your oven bakes). Check center of cake with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Last, dust with powdered sugar, slice, serve, enjoy!
Optional Dream Whip Frosting Recipe (use in place of powdered sugar)
- 2 envelops Dream Whip
- 1 (3.4 ounce) package pistachio instant pudding mix
- 1 1/4 cups cold milk
Directions
Pour all of the ingredients in a large bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Frost cake and refrigerate.
Sharing this recipe at Weekend Potluck!
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers!

Are all the ingredients compatible with the newer size cake mixes? In the 70s, cake mixes were 18.25 oz. Now they’re either 16.5 or 15.25 oz. And trust me, after three attempts one day, I figured out what was wrong with my cakes.
Love this cake. It is also my emergency dessert since it uses pantry items. The first several times I made it, the cake burned. Then I noticed that the cake mix called for 325, not 350 like the recipe. If you have this problem check your cake mix directions. That may be it. No more problems since that little change
I use a similar recipe, but add a couple tablespoons of almond flavoring and a few drops of green food coloring and bake in a 13 x 9 pan. After cooling I make a light cream frosting, adding additional almond flavoring and additional drops of green food coloring… VERY good and moist
Can I bake this in a 9 x 13 pan instead?
Can this be baked in a sheet pan or some other one layer pan?
Thank you! I’ve been searching for this exact recipe because I remembered it needed 5 eggs!!! I used to frost it with 1 pkg pistacchio inst pudding, beat with 1/2 pint heavy cream, then fold in 1 small container cool whip.
can this convert to a 9×13 cake pan?
I just bought everything for this and can’t wait to make it. I do have a Bundt Cake Pan but also wonder about making this as a sheet cake sometime???
Comes out better with ,pecans, walnuts… my family loves it
We use to put a nut mixture in the middle of this cake. Best thing ever
I have been looking for this recipe for years! My mother used to make this for all my parties in high school. Thank you!
I always asked for pistachio cake for my birthday every year since I was a little kid. I am now 47 and my mom still makes it for me
looks yummy
I use to make this all the time. I saved about a cup of batter, added cocoa, and swirled that through the batter in the pan. I used chocolate icing.
Mmm…looks so delish!
Thanks for finding this recipe I had it in the 70’s and then somehow lost it. It was my husbands favorite. Wonder if I can still find dream whip. So awesome. Thanks
I can’t wait to make this for my brother. He is a pistachio fanatic and I always love an excuse to bake a cake!