There are cakes that taste amazing, and then there are cakes that make people stop mid-bite, close their eyes, and sing your praises. This Vegan Pistachio Salted Caramel Cake is one of those cakes. Four people—yes, four—swore it was the best cake they’ve ever had, and honestly? I’d have to agree.
Inspired by the warm, nutty, and caramel-kissed scent of Sol de Janeiro’s iconic body butter, this cake is a moist fluffy dream —buttery without the butter, rich without the dairy, and decadent without the guilt. The secret?
Freshly ground pistachios and Nature’s Charm! Their Salted Caramel Sauce and Coconut Whipping Cream create the most luscious, velvety layers while keeping things 100% plant-based. The caramel drizzles beautifully between layers, offering a deep, golden richness, while the coconut cream whips into an airy, luxurious filling. Together, they elevate this cake to divine status—because why settle for anything less?
Why You’ll Love It
✔ Made with Nature’s Charm premium vegan ingredients
✔ Ultra-moist, nutty pistachio cake with a hint of matcha for color
✔ Silky coconut-based salted caramel (good enough to eat by the spoonful)
✔ Lush coconut cream filling that’s light, airy, and dairy-free
✔ 100% plant-based & ridiculously delicious
It’s simple to make, layered with flavors that melt on your tongue, and, dare I say, giving my tres leches a run for its money.
Warning: This cake might just become your new signature dessert. Don’t be surprised when people start requesting it for every birthday, celebration, and random Tuesday.
I hope you love this cake as much as I do! To save it for later, Pin the photo below. Stay tuned for more fabulous fragrance-inspired vegan cakes!
- Pistachio Cake
- 1½ cups plant milk (soy or coconut work best)
2½ teaspoons white vinegar
1¾ cups sugar
- 1 cup vegan yogurt plain or vanilla
- 1 cup melted vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup roasted salted pistachios shelled
- 3 cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon matcha, divided (optional for color)
- Filling/Frosting
- 1 can Nature’s Charm coconut whipping cream, chilled overnight
- ¾ cup Nature’s Charm salted caramel sauce
- 3 cups vegan buttercream or cream cheese frosting
- 2 Tablespoons chopped pistachios for decorating
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of 3 8-inch round cake pans with oil or vegan butter. Line each pan with circle of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine, then set aside to curdle. In a food processor, add the pistachios and pulse to process for about a minute until they’re a fine, crumbly flour texture, being mindful not to let it turn into pistachio butter.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, matcha powder, and pistachio crumbs in a large bowl. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, yogurt, melted vegan butter, vanilla and almond extracts and whisk well to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined with a spatula or hand mixer. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly into the pans and bake in the center rack of the oven for 38-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. Speed this up in the freezer for 10 minutes if you like.
- While the cakes are baking, whip the can of coconut cream with ½ cup of salted caramel sauce. Place in the fridge to cool. Prepare the buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Keep it at about room temperature for easy piping.
- When the cakes are fully cooled, add a dollop of frosting to the center of your cake plate or serving tray. Place the first cake cake layer. Pipe a thick circle of frosting on the outer edge. Pipe a swirl of salted caramel cream in the center. Fill in the spiral with a thin piping of caramel sauce. Repeat this process with the second cake layer.
- Add the top layer and frost/decorate as desired. For easy decorating, add a crumb coat first to the cake. Chill for 30 minutes before adding more frosting to to smooth the cake out. I piped frosting around the top and bottom edges, put a few rosettes on the sides, then added several swirls on the top.
- Dust with the remaining matcha powder and sprinkle with chopped pistachios to finish the cake. Serve immediately or cover carefully with cling film and refrigerate.
Â
QUESTION OR COMMENT? LET'S TALK!