High Altitude Lemon Pistachio Tea Cake

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A moist and dense, high altitude lemon pistachio cake baked in a loaf pan, drizzled with lemon icing and sprinkled with chopped salted pistachios and edible dried rose petals. This lemon loaf cake with pistachios is perfect to serve warm with afternoon tea, or for a special sweet addition to a Mother’s Day brunch.

You might also love these recipes for pistachio coconut cake, cherry almond amaretto loaf cake, and lemon bundt cake.

Lemon pistachio tea cake with lemon icing dripping down.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Moist for Days. This is such a moist cake, due to the butter, buttermilk, and even the pistachios, all which add moisture and flavor to the cake. The leftover lemon pistachio loaf cake is especially good if you re-warm individual slices for 15-20 seconds in the microwave.

Lovely Spring Flavors. Lemon and pistachio are a classic flavor pairing in the spring and summer, and the pink rose petals on top make the prettiest edible decoration.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

Slices of lemon pistachio tea cake on a cooling rack.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Sugar. You’ll need granulated sugar for the cake, giving it moisture and sweetness, as well as powdered sugar for the icing.
Lemons. One or two small lemons will give you enough fresh lemon zest for the cake and lemon juice for the icing.
Butter. Use unsalted butter, or omit/reduce the extra salt in the recipe.
Eggs. Gives the cake moisture, structure and strength.
Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Buttermilk. The buttermilk is rich and acidic, giving the cake a tender texture. Instead of buttermilk, you can also use sour cream, kefir or plain unsweetened Greek yogurt.
Flour. All purpose flour gives the cake structure and strength.
Baking Powder + Baking Soda. Leavening agents, so the cake rises as it bakes.
Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
Pistachios. I used salted pistachios, but if yours are unsalted, you may want to add another pinch of salt to the cake batter.
Edible Dried Rose Petals. These are optional, but they add a pretty pop of color that looks gorgeous with the green pistachios sprinkled over the icing. I found some at my local Savory Spice Shop, but you can also buy edible rose petals on Amazon. Just use them sparingly, since too much can give your baked goods a soapy flavor.

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9×5 inch bread loaf pan with a parchment paper “sling” and lightly spray the paper and ends of the pan with non-stick baking spray.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, measure the sugar, then grate the lemon zest over the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until moist and fragrant.
Add the butter, and beat on medium speed for about 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl down occasionally, until very light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating each for 30 seconds before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape the bowl down and beat again for 30 seconds.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chopped pistachios. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 15 seconds.

Step 3 for making lemon pistachio tea cake.

Step 4 for making lemon pistachio tea cake.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Set the pan on a cooling rack. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then use the paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Let the cake cool on the cooling rack for 45 minutes before icing.

Step 7 for making lemon pistachio tea cake.

Step 8 for making lemon pistachio tea cake.

Icing

In a bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and drizzly. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cake.
Before the icing sets, sprinkle the top of the cake with the chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.
Wait until the icing sets, then slice the cake warm, or at room temperature.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store leftover lemon pistachio cake?

Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For a just-baked texture, re-warm individual slices of cake in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

Can this cake be frozen?

You can freeze this cake without the icing. Wrap the un-iced cake in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3-6 months.

Can I use a bundt pan instead of a loaf pan?

I recommend using a loaf pan, although you can also make a single layer of cake in an 8-inch round cake pan if you line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper. The bake time will likely be 5-10 minutes shorter for an 8-inch pan. I had originally planned to make this recipe as a small bundt cake, using a 6-cup bundt pan such as the fluted loaf pan, heritage bundt pan or Charlotte pan. But in testing the cake in the fluted loaf pan, it stuck badly to the pan, even when sprayed with non-stick baking spray.

What if I only have unsalted pistachios?

Unsalted pistachios will work just fine, although you may want to increase the salt a little in the cake batter.

Icing dripping down an almond loaf cake. — Cardamom Almond Loaf Cake

Pink strawberry icing dripping down a strawberry bundt cake. — Cardamom Almond Loaf Cake

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