This Spiced Pistachio Upside Down Cake is rich, deeply fragrant and almost sticky underneath from the caramelised pistachio topping. The cake itself is soft and buttery with a tender pistachio crumb, while the warm spices and orange zest make it feel somewhere between a classic upside-down cake and a beautiful bakery-style tea cake.
The brown sugar pistachio topping becomes almost praline-like once baked, creating this glossy caramelised layer that sinks slightly into the cake as it cools. Cardamom is the hero flavour here, backed up by cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves for a warm almost chai-like spice profile that works so perfectly with pistachios.
Looking for other unique desserts? You'll love my Miso Tahini Caramel Slice or my Bala Baiana Coconut Bon Bons
Jump to:
Why you’ll love this Spiced Pistachio Upside Down Cake
- The pistachio topping becomes deeply caramelised and almost praline-like once baked, giving the cake a rich sticky finish that feels incredibly luxurious. It contrasts so beautifully against the soft buttery crumb underneath.
- Pistachios naturally keep the cake really moist and tender while adding richness and texture throughout the batter. The crumb ends up soft and slightly dense in the best possible way.
- The warm spices make this cake feel incredibly comforting and bakery-like. The cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves all work together to create a really deep aromatic flavour without overpowering the pistachio.
- Orange zest completely lifts the whole cake and makes the spices feel brighter and more balanced. It gives the cake a subtle citrus freshness that works beautifully with the pistachios.
- It looks impressive once flipped, but the actual method is surprisingly simple. Upside down cakes always feel dramatic and special with very little extra effort.
- This cake keeps really well because of the pistachios and sour cream, meaning the texture stays soft and moist even the next day.
- The darker caramelised top gives the cake a really rustic beautiful look rather than something overly polished or perfect. It feels warm, homemade and full of flavour.
- It works beautifully as both a dessert and a cake to have with coffee or tea. Slightly warm with cream or yogurt is honestly incredible.
Ingredients
- Pistachios: Add richness, moisture and a naturally buttery flavour while keeping the crumb soft and tender.
- Butter: Gives the cake richness and helps create the caramelised topping.
- Caster sugar: Sweetens the cake while keeping the crumb light.
- Brown sugar: Creates the sticky caramelised upside-down topping.
- Eggs: Help give the cake structure and richness.
- Sour cream: Keeps the cake soft, moist and tender.
- Orange zest: Brightens the warm spices and pistachio flavour.
- Self-raising flour: Gives the cake structure while keeping it light enough to balance the pistachios.
- Cardamom: The hero spice that gives the cake warmth and floral depth.
- Cinnamon: Adds sweetness and warmth.
- Ginger: Gives gentle heat and warmth.
- Nutmeg: Adds depth and warmth in the background.
- Cloves: Bring richness and spice to the cake.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Chop pistachios for the top of the cake
Step 2: Make the caramel and pour over the pistachio
Step 3: Cream butter and sugar together then gradually whisk in eggs, followed by orange zest, sour cream and vanilla
Step 4: Blitz pistachios in a food processor until finely crumbed
Step 5: Combine pistachio, flours, spices with the wet mix
Step 6: Spread over the caramel pistachios and bake
Tips for the best upside down cake
- Blitz the pistachios until they resemble almond meal consistency. If they’re too coarse, the cake can become heavy or uneven.
- Let the batter sit for 5 minutes before baking so the pistachios and flour hydrate slightly.
- Bake the cake low and slow for the most even texture and to prevent the outside browning too quickly.
- If the cake darkens too much during baking, loosely tent with foil for the final part of cooking.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin before flipping. This helps the topping settle and reduces the chance of breaking.
- When lining the baking tin, make sure the entire tin is covered in baking paper. When I first tested this, the caramel stuck to exposed parts of the tin and ruined the cake.
Substitutions
Sour cream:
Greek yogurt works really well in place of sour cream and still keeps the cake moist and tender.
Self-raising flour:
You can use plain flour plus 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder instead.
Orange zest:
Lemon zest works beautifully too and gives the cake a fresher brighter flavour profile.
Equipment
I love using my Smeg stand mixer for the cake batter, especially using the flex-edge beater
Storage
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavour and texture actually improve slightly overnight. Serve at room temperature or gently warmed.
FAQ
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes. The flavour actually deepens overnight and the cake stays beautifully moist thanks to the pistachios and sour cream.
Why did my upside down cake sink slightly in the middle?
Because the cake contains pistachios, sour cream and a rich topping, the crumb is naturally very soft and moist. A slight dip is completely normal, especially while cooling.
Can I use store bought pistachio meal?
Yes, although freshly blitzed pistachios usually give the best flavour, colour and texture.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
Spiced Pistachio Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 180 g pistachios
- 160 g salted butter softened
- 160 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 135 g sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 160 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Upside-down pistachio topping
- 80 g butter
- 100 g brown sugar
- 145 g pistachios roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Grease and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper. Ensure there are no gaps around the base of the cake tin, the caramel can easily stick to the cake tin and ruin the cake.
- Start with the topping. Add the butter, brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and salt to a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until glossy and mostly combined. If the sugar and butter split, add a tablespoon of water and mix to combine
- Scatter over the chopped pistachios. Pour the mixture into the base of the cake tin and spread evenly.
- Add the pistachios for the cake batter to a food processor and blitz until they resemble a fine coarse flour, similar to almond meal.
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and caster sugar for several minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Mix through the sour cream, vanilla and orange zest.
- Fold through the ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, spices and salt until just combined. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes before baking so the pistachio meal hydrates slightly.
- Carefully spoon the batter over the pistachio topping and smooth the surface.
- Bake for 55 - 65 minutes or until the centre feels set and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs attached. If the cake darkens too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the final part of baking.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before carefully inverting onto a serving plate.
Leave a Reply