Sicilian Pistachio and Nutella Cake. What a beautiful way to showcase pistachios both inside and on top of the cake!
I’m so enjoying looking for ways to cook and bake with these pistachios from Sicily! Whether it’s in savory recipes such as Sicilian Pasta with Creamy Pistachio Sauce, or sweets like Pistachio Amaretti I love how pistachios elevate these dishes to a whole new level adding both crunch and unexpected flavor. This Sicilian Pistachio and Nutella Cake does it again!
Pistachios from Bronte, Sicily are like green gold. You’ll find an endless array of products made with these local pistachios all over in Sicily. I had the good fortune to bring back some of these from my most recent trip.
This pistachio cake recipe comes from my dear cousin in Sicily. It was slightly adapted taking into consideration the availability of certain ingredients here in Canada. But before making this cake I had to decide whether it was worth using up all these pistachios! It contains pistachios both inside and on top of the cake. And most importantly my supply of Sicilian pistachios is slowly dwindling.
Believe me, it was well worth it!
What to do if you don’t have pistachios from Bronte, Sicily:
The pistachios I purchased in Sicily came already crushed. But if you don’t have access to these pistachios, no problem, here’s what you need to do:
- Purchase whole shelled pistachios or with shells on if you don’t mind taking the time to shell them yourself.
- Make sure they are not roasted or salted. Salted pistachios will definitely affect the taste of your cake.
- Place in a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin or flat side of a meat mallet.
- Another option would be to coarsely chop them with a sharp knife, but that will be a bit more time consuming!
- Do not grind in a food processor. This cake uses crushed pistachios not pistachio flour.
Step by Step Instructions:
Begin by whisking the egg yolks and sugar.
Add melted butter and vanilla and whisk.
Sift flour and baking powder and stir into the egg mixture until combined.
Stir in the crushed pistachios. Whisk the egg whites and gently fold them in the mixture.
Pour into a greased and floured spring form pan. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
Let cool for a few minutes before removing the sides of a pan.
After the cake is cooled, spread Nutella over the top and sides and coat with crushed pistachios.
Storage:
This cake will keep well at room temperature for 3 days.
That’s all there is to it to make this beautiful pistachio cake with nutella! Show me your lovely photos of your cake by tagging me with #mangiabedda or @mangiabedda on Facebook or Instagram. Don’t forget to Pin this recipe as well! Buon appetito!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups pistachios, crushed
For topping
- 1/2 cup pistachios, crushed
- 3/4 cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9 inch spring form pan.
- In a large bowl combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk vigorously until the mixture forms ribbons when you lift the whisk.
- Add melted butter and vanilla. Mix well.
- Stir in sifted flour and baking powder and mix until just combined. Add the crushed pistachios and stir.
- Using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold half the egg whites into the batter with a spatula. Stir in the remaining egg whites until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.
- When the cake is cooled, use an off set spatula to cover the top and sides with Nutella. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with crushed pistachios.
Notes
- Purchase whole shelled pistachios or with shells on if you don't mind taking the time to shell them yourself.
- Make sure they are not roasted or salted. Salted pistachios will definitely affect the taste of your cake.
- Place in a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin or flat side of the meat mallet.
- Another option would be to coarsely chop them with a sharp knife, but that will be a bit more time consuming!
- Do not grind in a food processor. This cake uses crushed pistachios not pistachio flour.
Deli deli
Thank you!
This cake is delicious!! I was at bit concerned at how dry mine was prior to adding the egg whites, but after incorporating them, it became so smooth, light and a great texture! cake was the perfect texture as well once baked.
Hi Angela, yes indeed the batter is quite thick and dry until you fold in the egg whites for sure. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your comment!
I made this cake today and it came out so well. Thanks so much!
Hello Petula, so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
There’s this bakery in saudi called lilous and they make the best pistachio Nutella cake! We moved and lately have been craving it so searched for a similar recipe and yours came up! Will definitely try it soon and let you know!
Thanks Nadia♥️
Hello Zareen, I’m so glad to hear you stumbled upon my recipe. I certainly hope you enjoy it!
Going to make next weekend same as Nadia not a lover of Nutella when it’s a lot like all over I think I will slice the cake in half and put some Nutella in the middle them put melted regular chocolate on top and sides and nuts on that so it sets hard so it’s better to transport can only try it and see how it works.
Hi Susan, another reader also mentioned that they are not a fan of Nutella and will try covering the cake with chocolate ganache. Sounds good to me and so does your idea. Please let me know how it turns out as it may interest other readers as well. Thanks!
In this recipe the Nutella tastes like chocolate. My husband won’t eat Nutella. Not only did he have no idea, but he loved it.
Hello LeeAnn, that is so funny, he really couldn’t tell? I too am not a huge fan of Nutella but I agree it works well in this recipe, thanks for sharing!
I’ll have to try this, but, I’m not into nutella, so I’ll use dark chocolate ganache.
Hi Alfreda, that sounds like a great idea. Please let me know how it turns out, it may be an interesting alternative for others who don’t like Nutella or have allergies to nuts. Thank you!
I’ll let you know how it works out.
Looking forward to it!
Wow, this looks wonderful. I adore pistachios. A cake this like is my idea of heaven. 😋
I adore pistachios as well, especially if they’re from Sicily! Thanks for your comment and for stopping by my blog!
Nadia, I love this cake idea! Look amazing! Thanks for sharing it with us.