This keto pistachio cake has a tender, moist crumb and it is beautifully flavored with rose water, cardamom, vanilla and lemon. It's a special low carb dessert that's going to wow your guests, whether they are keto or not!
I love making keto versions of my favorite recipes and this cake recipe is inspired by Ottolenghi's pistachio and rosewater semolina cake from his book "Sweet".
It turned out extraordinarily well! The fragrant flavors of this drizzle cake are just as wonderful as the original and it has the same rich, buttery pistachio crumb.
Of course, my cake does not contain any high carb ingredients such as semolina or sugar. It is 100% keto friendly, sugar free and gluten free.
Love pistachios? Don't miss my keto pistachio cookies.
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Katrin's Recipe Highlights
Rich pistachio flavor. This cake contains a generous 1 ½ cups of real pistachios, so there is no need for pistachio extract. Rose water, cardamom, vanilla and zesty lemon complement their delicate nuttiness and give the cake its fragrant Middle Eastern-inspired flavor.
So moist! Ground pistachios and almond flour naturally give the crumb plenty of moisture, while butter makes it rich and tender. But the real magic happens after baking. We soak the warm cake with a lemon and rose water syrup, which sinks into the crumb as it cools. This cake is not just moist. It is impossibly moist.
Super simple method. While your guests will think you are a kitchen goddess, making this cake is a breeze. You can mix it together in just 5 minutes. Just don't tell them 😉.
Low in net carbs. One slice is only 4.7g net carbs.
Versatile. This cake is impressive enough for a special occasion (holidays or birthdays) and easy enough for a regular afternoon treat.
Ingredients
Here is what you need to know about the ingredients. We're making a single layer cake and a quick sugar free syrup, which is poured over while the cake is still hot. (See the recipe card for exact amounts.)
- Pistachios - Shelled and unsalted. They are ground into a flour and form the base of this cake. This gives a rich, naturally nutty pistachio flavor without the need for pistachio extract. I used raw pistachios, but roasted also work.
- Almond flour - I used ground almonds, which is the same as regular almond flour in the US.
- Hemp Hearts - Also called hemp seeds. They have a mild nutty flavor that works beautifully with the pistachios and add texture to the crumb. My substitute for the semolina in Ottolenghi's original cake.
- Sweetener - I used allulose (pure allulose, not a 1:1 sugar replacement blend). It browns quicker than other sweeteners, which is why I reduced the oven temperature by 20C compared to my other cakes. If you use erythritol, Bocha Sweet or other sugar substitutes, the cake will be lighter in color.
- Butter - Provides moisture in the cake. The butter should be softened and unsalted.
- Eggs - large and room temperature. They give the cake structure and stability
- Rose water - Has an elegant floral note and is NOT overpowering at all in the cake. I use rose water, NOT rose essence, which is much more concentrated.
- Vanilla extract and cardamom - add warmth. I used ground cardamom, or use the crushed seeds from 5 cardamom pods.
- Lemon - Juice and zest. The zest is non-negotiable. It adds tons of flavor.
- Sea salt - Just a pinch, to enhance the flavor.
Instructions
It is simple to make a keto pistachio cake. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with ingredient amounts, timings and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Blend the pistachios into a flour using a high speed blender.
STEP 2
Stir together the pistachio and hemp hearts with the almond flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt.
STEP 3
In a food processor, blend the softened butter and the sweetener until pale and smooth, about 1 minute. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer with whisk attachments.
STEP 4
Add the eggs and blend until well-combined. Then, add the rose water, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest. Blend briefly.
STEP 5
Add the dry ingredients and blend once more until just combined. The batter should be soft and spoonable.
STEP 6
Fill the cake batter into the prepared springform pan. Gently tap on the counter to level the top.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
STEP 7
Make the sugar free syrup: In a small pan, heat the rose water, lemon juice and allulose until the sweetener melts. It will still be very liquid.
Remove the cake from the oven and pour the syrup over the cake straight away. It will absorb into the cake.
Katrin's Top Tips
#1 Check after 30 minutes and cover the top with parchment paper or aluminium foil once the top has turned golden to prevent over-browning. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out without any wet batter sticking to it. It may look a little oily from the butter and nuts.
#2 The cake is supposed to have a deep golden crust, just like Ottolenghi's original version. This gives it stability, because we're feeding it with the syrup after baking, and it also adds a lovely caramelised note.
#3 Let the cake cool fully in the pan, about 1 hour. Then, run a knife around the edges before carefully releasing it from the springform.
Serving Suggestion
I scatter crushed pistachios over the cake and serve it with a dollop of full fat Greek yogurt, which I flavored with a spoonful of rose water and a little sweetener.
You could also dust it with powdered sweetener.
Using Different Sweeteners
The cake also works with erythritol, Bocha Sweet, xylitol or erythritol blends with monk fruit or stevia. As mentioned above, the crust will be less brown because allulose has a lower caramelisation point.
Also keep in mind that most zero carb sweeteners are 1:1 sugar alternatives, while allulose is only about 70% as sweet as sugar. Therefore, use between ⅔ and ¾ cup when swapping allulose with a 1:1 sugar replacement.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. If you don't enjoy floral flavors, simply leave it out and increase the vanilla in the cake batter to taste. For the syrup, double the lemon juice.
The cake is not bright green because we are using real pistachios and no artificial coloring or flavoring. Natural pistachios bake to a muted green-brown color and the allulose also gives the cake its deep golden crust.
Yes. I think the cake actually tastes even better on day 2, once the flavors have mingled and the syrup has had time to settle into the crumb.
Replace the butter with a dairy-free butter or use olive oil. I used half butter, half olive oil when I made the cake the second time round and it worked very well.
Storage
Store the cake in a cake pan at room temperature for up to 2 days or up to 1 week in the fridge.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Pre-slice it before freezing so you can take out a piece at a time.
More Easy Keto Cakes
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Recipe
Keto Pistachio Cake
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1.5 cups pistachios 200g, shelled, unsalted, measured before blending, plus more to decorate
- 1.5 cups almond flour 150g
- ½ cup hemp hearts 70g, hemp seeds
- 1 cup allulose 190g
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tsp cardamom ground, or seeds of 3 cardamom pods
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter softened, unsalted, 150g
- 4 eggs large, room temperature
- 2 tbsp rose water rose WATER, not rose essence
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest zest of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar Free Syrup
- 2 tablespoon rose water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp allulose or more to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 160C / 320 F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.
- Blend the pistachios into a flour using a high speed blender.
- In a large bowl, stir together the pistachio and hemp hearts with the almond flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt.
Cake Batter
- In a food processor, blend the softened butter and sweetener until pale and smooth, about 1 minute. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer with whisk attachments.
- Add the eggs and blend until well-combined. Then, add the rose water, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest. Blend briefly.
- Add the dry ingredients and blend once more until just combined.
Assembly and Bake
- Spoon the cake batter into the prepared springform pan. Gently pound on the counter to level the top.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the top is deeply golden, the cake is firm when you gently press on it and a skewer inserted comes out clean but a little oily. After 3O minutes of baking, cover the top with parchment paper or aluminium foil to prevent over-browning.
Sugar Free Syrup
- 10 minutes before the cake is done, gently heat the rose water, lemon juice and allulose in a small pan until the sweetener dissolves. It will still be very liquid. Pour the syrup over the hot cake as soon as it's out of the oven. It will absorb all the liquid.
- Let the cake cool in the springform pan until room temperature, at least 1 hour. Then, run a knife around the edges and gently release it from the springform. Decorate with chopped pistachios.
Sne
Katrin, the recipe sounds most lush! I'd love to try it but can't use hemp products due to the nature of my work. Could you think of any suitable substitutes for it? Happy to experiment!! Thanks a mill.
Katrin Nürnberger
I think the cake would work with more almond flour. That is the simplest substitution.