Banana pistachio cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting
on Mar 13, 2019, Updated Aug 19, 2022
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
Feel like you’ve tried every kind of banana bread in existence? How about a banana pistachio cake? Packed with pistachio nuts and smothered in a delicious white chocolate cream cheese frosting, this is a banana loaf with attitude!
Table of Contents
In search of the best banana cake
Banana bread… the cake that we all love to eat. And the cake that most of us feel confident making.
We like it because it works. It’s delicious. It’s easy to make. And it uses up the almost mouldy bananas that we all have regularly lurking in our fruit bowl.
I have my fair share of delicious banana cake recipes here on Scrummy Lane already:
- You can make this really easy mini air fryer banana bread in the oven… or the air fryer! It’s faster to make than regular banana bread, and reduces the temptation of having lots of cake hanging around all week. Can’t even wait that long? You need this gluten free banana mug cake in your life!
- This banana sheet cake with peanut butter fudge frosting is great for parties!
- Pineapple, coconut and banana cake (aka Hummingbird cake!)
- This banana, chocolate chip and peanut butter cake is a cake I created to try to copy something I’d tried in a cafe. It’s incredible!
- Last but not least… for some banana breakfast magic, you have to try both these caramelised banana pancakes, and these incredible healthy banana waffles.
So why make THIS banana bread?
- It’s a unique take on a classic. Studded with pistachios and slathered in a delicious white chocolate cream cheese frosting, it’s a little bit special, don’t you think?
- It looks pretty darn delicious, right, with all those green and pink tinged pistachios on top.
- Thanks to both almond flour and yoghurt in the mixture, the loaf is moist but not at all heavy.
- The frosting recipe makes enough for two cakes so you can freeze some for your next cake. Or use it to ice cupcakes, a layer cake, or brownies.
- I originally made this recipe with gluten free flour, so it’s easy to adapt if you need your loaf to be gluten free.
How to make a banana pistachio cake
There’s a simple formula for making this cake:
Step 1: Cream together the butter and sugar either with a handheld whisk or in a food processor.
Step 2: Whisk in the eggs.
Step 3: Add the other ‘wet’ ingredients i.e. the banana and yoghurt.
Step 4: Add the ‘dry’ ingredients i.e. the flour mixture and ground nuts, then fold in the pistachios.
Step 5: Bake!
Step 6: Let cool. Make the frosting. Slather it all over the cake. Sprinkle with more yummy pistachios. Eat.
Pretty easy, right?
Ingredients for the white chocolate cream cheese frosting
This is a quick and easy 4 ingredient icing for banana cake – or any other kind of cake. All you need is:
- cream cheese
- butter
- white chocolate
- icing sugar / powdered sugar
As I’ve already mentioned, the recipe makes enough for two cakes so you can freeze the leftover frosting for another time.
Recipe variations
When I first made the frosting for this banana pistachio loaf, I could only find white chocolate with crispy rice bits in it at the supermarket. Surprisingly, it was delicious! Try it!
You could also try using milk or dark chocolate for the frosting.
You could use a different kind of nut instead of pistachios. How about hazelnuts, walnuts, flaked almonds or macadamia nuts? I think macadamia nuts would work especially well with the white chocolate frosting.
More easy morning or afternoon tea cake recipes
This frosted banana bread is the sort of cake you would make if you had friends coming over for a cup of coffee or tea.
Here are some other options from Scrummy Lane:
- Gingerbread muffins with salted caramel icing
- Sticky blueberry lemon curd cake
- Nutella swirl loaf cake (with hazelnuts)
- Easy Italian apple cake
- Really easy lemon mascarpone cake
- Or see all my cakes here
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW YOU GET ON BY LEAVING A COMMENT AND RATING BELOW… AND DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE ALL MY NEW RECIPES BY EMAIL!
FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST AND YOUTUBE.
Banana pistachio cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
For the loaf
- 8 tablespoons butter, chopped into pieces (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup ripe bananas, (2-3)
- 4 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt
- 1 cup plain flour , (substitute with gluten free flour if you like)
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- a large pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup pistachio nuts
For the frosting
- 3½ ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3½ ounces white chocolate
- 1 cup plus a tablespoon of powdered/icing sugar
Instructions
For the loaf
- Pre-heat the oven to 355F/180C and line a regular-sized loaf tin (approx. 23 x 13 x 7 cm) with baking paper.
- Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer or in a food processor, then add the eggs with the motor still running one at a time until well mixed in.
- Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and add the banana and Greek yoghurt. Mix well.
- Sift in the flour, almond meal, salt and baking soda and mix until just combined. Then fold in the pistachio nuts.
- Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin and bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a skewer or knife inserted into the loaf comes out clean. (Cover loosely with some kitchen foil after about 30 minutes to stop the loaf browning too much)
- Leave to cool.
For the frosting
- Whip the cream cheese and butter together, then melt the chocolate in 30-second spurts in the microwave (or in a bowl over simmering water). Let the chocolate cool slightly, then whisk into the cream cheese and butter mixture as well.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix really well.
- When the loaf is completely cool, use about half of the frosting to frost your loaf (you can freeze the rest). Decorate with the reserved pistachio nuts. Enjoy!
I love banana loafs and this one with pistachio looks amazing. I have never made anything with pistachio (!) so I most definitely have to try this one out. Delicious!
Looking forward to following your blog 🙂
xx Milana
Hello, Milana, and thanks so much for visiting the blog and commenting. I so love ‘meeting’ new visitors! You should definitely have a go at adding some pistachios into a recipe. They really are pretty versatile and go well in both sweet and savory recipes. It’s just that it may be a bit tricky in some places to find shelled ones!
I’m so happy to have stumbled on your blog! This banana cake looks amazing, and the pistachios on top are so photogenic! I’m definitely a baker by nature. But recently I’ve been making heaps of savoury food and it’s getting much better if I do say so myself!
Hello, Lilli! So nice of you to drop by and comment! Thank you so much for the compliments. I’m glad you’re enjoying making savoury dishes. I’m SO enjoying learning how to be a baker. I have a long way to go, but that’s the fun part! I’m over to your blog now to have a little look around there 🙂
You are definitely a baker!! This combination is just amazing 🙂
Thank you, Zainab! I’m getting there at least. Really enjoyed making (and eating!) this!
Oh, my gosh, why have I never added pistachios to banana bread? Or topped it with white chocolate frosting??? YUM!
Haha … well now you can give it a go, Liz! 🙂
Hehe your definitely a baker Helen! This looks incredibly good and I really like the sound of that icing too! 🙂
Thanks, Lorraine, that is a compliment indeed coming from you! 😉
Looking at the beautiful photos you wouldn’t think you’re new to baking, that is one pretty loaf!
Thank you so much for saying so! I have to admit I was a little impressed with the result here and it sort of gives me confidence for my next baking venture. Thanks too for passing by – I always love to ‘meet’ new visitors to my blog!
This looks amazing, Helen! I love the colours on the icing from the pistachios. I absolutely adore banana bread! 🙂
Thanks, lovely Jessica! I actually really wish I had a piece left right now. I’m in the middle of painting my apartment and just stopped for a cuppa! Hope you have a good weekend, too! 😉
I’m totally loving your baking lately! Those beet brownies looked awesome, and now this pistachio banana loaf?! You might need to change your “about me” section soon to include awesome baker!
Aw, that’s a very sweet thing to say, Chris. Thank you! I might hold off on changing the ‘About me’ section until I’ve had a tiny bit more pracice, though … lol! Hope you have a lovely weekend and you and your wife manage to get everything you need to do … done!
Oh my, now this is a loaf! I love pistachios – the color they give things is just so so gorgeous! And that white chocolate cream cheese frosting … yes yes yes!
Thanks, Ashley! I actually didn’t realise the pistachios would make the cake so pretty until it was finished … it was a nice added bonus! Hope you have a great weekend!
Omg I think I just died a little inside. You should really continue to bake girl, this looks FAB! Now I need to add a cake tin to my shopping list…:)
Thank you, Karen … that’s a lovely sweet compliment! The important thing is I’m learning and improving! I know you’re all about healthy eating, but I’m sure you can find some nice and healthy cakes to bake! Let me know how it goes if you do! 🙂