Pistachio-Chocolate Snacking Cake

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This pistachio-chocolate snacking cake is moist, not-too-sweet, and effortlessly elegant. Use pistachio paste to make the frosting, or omit it and use cocoa powder to make chocolate frosting instead.

By

Jessie Sheehan

Jessie Sheehan

Jessie Sheehan is a celebrated cookbook author, recipe developer, baker, and host of Cherry Bombe’s baking podcast, She’s My Cherry Pie. She is the self-proclaimed queen of “easy-peasy baking;” and has contributed recipes and writing to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Epicurious, Food52, Bon Appetit, and more.

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Updated on March 11, 2026

Active Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 25 mins

Yield:

1 (8-inch) cake

• Blooming the cocoa powder in hot water amps up the chocolaty richness.
• Buttermilk gives the cake a subtle tang and keeps it from veering overly sweet.
• Pick your own adventure with nutty and sweet pistachio frosting or rich and creamy chocolate frosting.

Snacking cakes are one-layer beauties, and this one couldn’t be easier to make. Dutch-process cocoa powder lends a deep, chocolaty flavor, and oil in the batter ensures a tender, moist crumb and long counter life. In chocolate cakes, flavorless oil is in fact the perfect fat, as it lets the chocolate take center stage without adding distracting flavors. Blooming the cocoa powder in hot water and the addition of vanilla extract work in unison to further amp up the chocolaty flavor in this decadent dessert.

Frosting this cake with a simple American buttercream is the way to go when easy baking is the name of the game. Two frosting options take the cake in distinct, yet equally delicious directions: one with pistachio paste for a Dubai chocolate–inspired treat, and the other with cocoa powder for a classic chocolate-on-chocolate devil’s food vibe. (Look for a pistachio paste that is made with 100% ground roasted pistachios and without any added sugar or sweeteners.) The pistachio topping is nutty and gorgeously green (with the help of a drop or two of organic green food coloring), and the chocolate buttercream is garnished with delicate chocolate curls, giving this more traditional flavor profile a fancy flourish. — Jessie Sheehan

What is a snacking cake?

A snacking cake, as the name suggests, is a cake that’s meant for snacking any time of day, breakfast to nighttime. The cake batter isn’t fussy, often not even requiring a mixer, and the cake is baked in a round or square pan. 

Snacking cakes are always a single layer, no stacking involved. They’re meant to be easy, quick, and delicious. Snacking cakes can be served frosted, unfrosted, or sprinkled with a sugary, streusel-like topping.

No pistachio paste?

This cake can also be made easily with a chocolate topping. To make chocolate frosting instead, substitute the pistachio paste with 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa, and omit the food coloring. Garnish with chocolate curls, and you'll have a delicious chocolate-on-chocolate cake.

What’s the difference between Dutch-process cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder?

Dutch-process cocoa powder has been alkalized, meaning the cocoa’s natural acidity has been neutralized. This process gives it a darker color and more mellow flavor. The neutral pH means Dutch-process cocoa powder works well in recipes leavened with baking powder. 

Unlike Dutch-process cocoa powder, natural cocoa powder is non-alkalized. It has a light brown color and bright, acidic flavor. The acidity of natural cocoa powder will react with baking soda in recipes to give lift and rise. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

• Leave a parchment paper overhang on two sides of the pan to make lifting out the cooled cake easy. 
• Use a paddle attachment rather than a whisk to beat the frosting for a smooth and creamy consistency that’s not overly airy. 
• If you can’t pick between the two frostings, make a half batch of each and frost a bicolored cake.

This recipe was developed by Jessie Sheehan; the text was written by Jessie Sheehan and Paige Grandjean.

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Ingredients

1/2X

1X

2X

Cake

• Cooking spray

• 1/2 cup boiling water

• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

• 1/2 cup whole buttermilk

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/4 ounces)

Pistachio Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (about 6 ounces)

• 1/2 cup pistachio paste

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

• 2 to 4 drops organic green food coloring (optional)

• Chopped raw pistachios, for garnish

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Directions

1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line bottom and sides of pan with Reynolds Kitchens® Unbleached Parchment Paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 opposite sides; set aside.

2. Whisk together 1/2 cup boiling water and cocoa in a small heatproof bowl; set aside. Whisk together brown sugar, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. Whisk in egg, egg yolk, and buttermilk. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to incorporate. Add cocoa mixture (do not stir), then add flour. Whisk vigorously until batter is well combined, about 20 seconds.

3. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Lift cake from pan using parchment paper overhang as handles; transfer to a platter. Discard parchment paper, and set cake aside.

4. Make the pistachio frosting: Beat butter, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low, and gradually beat in powdered sugar, pistachio paste, and heavy cream, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. If desired for a brighter green color, add 2 to 4 drops of green food coloring. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread frosting evenly over cake, and garnish with chopped pistachios.

   

   Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Make ahead

The frosted cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. 

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, February 2026