This pistachio cardamom and lemon loaf cake is soft, moist and lightly spiced. With a rich and fruity flavour from the olive oil, combined with crunchy pistachios and a tangy lemon drizzle, it’s the perfect cake for morning or afternoon tea. Plus it’s completely dairy free, and you don’t need an electric mixer to make it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ i made this yesterday as i was looking for a tea cake for friends who were dropping in. it was perfect! loved the cardamom, lemon and pistachio combo. making it again today for another occasion. – gillian
This is one of the more interesting cake flavours to come out of my kitchen, and it’s still one of my favourites. I first published this recipe back in 2020 and since then it’s been one of the most popular cake recipes on my site. If you want something a bit different from the usual but still really simple to make, this is the one.
Pistachio and lemon is a combination I love, and adding cardamom just elevates the flavour. I can’t remember the inspiration behind this cake as the initial version was so long ago, but I know it was based on a lemon olive oil cake with the addition of the light spice of cardamon. It’s also not too sweet, which makes it perfect alongside a cup of tea or coffee.
Why You’ll Love This Cake
- Easy to transport and it freezes beautifully.
- No electric mixer needed, just a couple of bowls and a whisk.
- A soft, moist crumb thanks to the olive oil.
- Lightly spiced and fragrant, but not too sweet.
- Completely dairy free.
Key Ingredients
This pistachio loaf cake uses a handful of simple ingredients that come together for a really unique and delicious flavour.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Olive oil – adds moisture, richness and that lovely fruity flavour. Use one you enjoy the taste of.
- Eggs – for structure and lift.
- Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar. It dissolves faster than regular white sugar for a smoother crumb, but regular white sugar works too.
- Lemon – you’ll use both the juice and the zest, in the cake and the glaze.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour.
- Almond meal – adds a nutty flavour and a denser, more tender crumb.
- Ground cardamom – the spice that makes this cake. It’s warm and fragrant and works beautifully with the lemon and pistachio.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda/baking soda – the combination gives a slow, even rise.
- Dairy free milk – I use oat milk, but any plant based milk works.
- Pistachios – buy them already shelled, as shelling enough yourself is not a fun job. I usually use raw as that’s what I keep on hand for baking but you can use salted if you prefer.
Why Olive Oil Works So Well Here
Most of the time when using oil in baked goods, it’s a light, neutral oil specifically for the moisture without the flavour. This cake is the exception. The rich and fruity flavour of olive oil is exactly what you want, because it works with the lemon and cardamom to give the cake its character. It’s also what keeps the crumb so soft and moist for days.
You’ll Also Love: Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs and vanilla, then add the sugar, lemon juice and zest and whisk until it’s a little foamy.
Step 2: In another bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, cardamom, baking powder and baking170°C/325°F soda.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet, along with the dairy free milk, and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Step 4: Fold through the roughly chopped pistachios with a spatula.
Step 5: Pour the batter into a greased and lined loaf pan and bake at 170°C/350°F for about 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. If it’s browning too quickly, lightly cover it with foil. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice a little at a time until you have a drizzly glaze. Pour it over the cooled cake, scatter over extra crushed pistachios and let it set before slicing.
👉 Tip! If the cake is browning faster than it’s baking through, lay a piece of foil loosely over the top for the last stretch in the oven.
Storage Instructions
Store the cake in an airtight container in a cool, dry place at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. It also freezes really well for up to 3 months, either as a whole cake or in individual slices.
To freeze, wrap first tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap whole loaves in aluminium foil, or place individually wrapped slices in a zip lock bag. This prevents freezer burn and ensures your cake tastes fresh when defrosted.
To serve, let it defrost at room temperature overnight, still wrapped, for the best result.
Recipe FAQs
Almond meal is simply ground almonds, a little coarser than almond flour, so it keeps some texture. It adds a nutty flavour and gives the cake a tender, slightly denser crumb. Almond flour will work too if that’s what you have.
I usually use a light tasting olive oil, but either works. It really comes down to how much of that olive oil flavour you want to come through in the finished cake.
Yes. There’s only a small amount in the batter, so regular milk works perfectly well if you’re not dairy free.
Yes. A 9 x 9 inch square pan works, just start checking it at around 30 minutes as it will bake faster. One reader made it in a slice tray and it was done in under 20 minutes, so keep an eye on it whenever you change the pan.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More cakes for afternoon tea:
Chai Spiced Tea Cake
Easy Cinnamon Tea Cake
Golden Syrup Cake
One Bowl Cappuccino Cake
Pistachio Cardamom and Lemon Loaf Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 110 grams (½ cup) caster sugar/superfine sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 150 grams (1 cup) plain flour/all purpose flour
- 25 grams (¼ cup) almond meal
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- 2 tablespoons dairy free milk
- ½ cup pistachios shelled and lightly crushed
For the glaze:
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice approx.
- pistachios crushed, optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F and grease and line an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with baking paper and a light spray of cooking oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ½ cup olive oil, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add in the 110 grams caster sugar/superfine sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon and continue to mix.
- In a smaller bowl, add the 150 grams plain flour/all purpose flour, 25 grams almond meal, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda and mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and start to whisk together. Add in the 2 tablespoons dairy free milk to thin out the batter. Use a spatula to fold through the ½ cup pistachios.
- Pour into the prepared pan evenly and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer when inserted comes out clean. If the cake starts to get a bit too brown, lightly cover with foil until it’s finished baking. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze by mixing the ¼ cup icing sugar with the 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a little at a time, adding more of each if needed until the glaze is the desired consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake, top with more crushed pistachios and let sit for a few minutes to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2023 and again in 2026 with more helpful information. The 2026 update also included a small recipe change to fix the cake sinking in the middle.
sherry says
this sounds so good. I must give it a go soon! Love pistachios, and i love olive oil in cakes.
cheers
sherry
https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Lesley says
We doubled the cardamom, and even though I overbaked it, it was still delicious! Not too sweet and a had a lovely tender crumbly texture. Totally a winner at our tea party!
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed it Lesley!
Grace says
What is almond meal?
RIta Hurault says
Almond meal i s simply almonds ground to a point short of becoming almond flour – left with some texture, like a nubbly cornmeal. I made my own with roasted almonds that I had on hand, rather than using almond flour, as I knew the texture would be important. It is a wonderful cake.
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed the cake Rita!
Gillian says
I made this yesterday as I was looking for a tea cake for friends who were dropping in. It was perfect! Loved the cardamom, lemon and pistachio combo. It took less than 20 mins as I put it in a slice tray. Making it again today for another occasion.
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed it Gillian, thanks for leaving a comment!
Jemille says
Can you use all almond flour to make it gluten-free?
J says
Amazing recipe, so delicious and easy to make! Brought it to a picnic and everyone really loved this.
Sally says
Such great feedback, thank you!
Rose says
My oven is fan forced. Should I reduce the temperature?
Sally says
Hi Rose, as a general rule temperatures for fan-forced ovens are roughly 20C lower than conventional however this is always dependant on your individual oven temperature. The only way to know for sure if you need to reduce it and by how much is with an oven thermometer. If you know your oven tends to cook things quicker than the recipes say, then definitely reduce. Over time you’ll get a feel for what it needs to be.
DC says
Hope I didn’t miss this in the recipe…Did you use extra virgin olive oil or a lighter olive oil? Thank you.
Sally says
Hi DC, I usually just use a light tasting olive oil, but really either will work fine depending on how much of the olive oil flavour you want to taste in the cake.
Rosie says
Hi Sally,
Looking forward to making this loaf cake.
Could I use dairy milk instead of plant based?
Cheers
Rosie
Sally says
Hi Rosie! I haven’t tried it myself but I think it would work fine! Let me know how you go.