Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

(A fluffy, nutty Pistachio cake with sweet and savory notes with a creamy White Chocolate Frosting that will be sure to entice your guests.

**Easy Difficulty**
Serves 6 to 8

For Pistachio Cake:
2 cups / 260 g All-Purpose Flour, sifted
1 powder package of Instant Pistachio Pudding mix (3.4 oz / 98 g box)
½ cup / 100 g White Sugar
½ cup / 70 g Butter, softened
½ cup / Salted Pistachio Nuts, shelled, chopped (Save an extra ½ cup for decoration)
1 Tbsp / 15 g Baking Powder
1 tsp / 5 g Salt
1 cup / 250 ml Milk
1 tsp / 5 ml Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs

For White Chocolate Frosting:
1 cup / 230 g White Baking Chocolate
½ cup / 70 g Butter, softened
5 cups / 640 g Powdered Sugar
2 tsp / 10 ml Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup / 80 ml Milk

1.) Begin by gathering all the ingredients for the Frosting. In a small sauce pan set at very low heat, melt the White Chocolate while stirring. Once the chocolate melts, set aside to cool off. In a large bowl with a hand mixer (if you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, use that), cream together the Butter and Vanilla Extract. Then beat in half the Powdered Sugar into the mixture. Then add Milk and beat together. Then add in remaining Powdered Sugar. Lastly, beat in the melted White Chocolate until you create a creamy, yet thick frosting. Cover with cling wrap and set frosting in the fridge to rest and cool. You will be taking the Frosting out of the fridge 45 minutes before you begin decorating.

2.) Grease two 8 inch round Cake Pans and set aside. Then in a large bowl, sift together Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, salt, and Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix Powder.

3.) Add Milk, Butter, Eggs, and Vanilla Extract and beat with hand mixer until you get a nice fluffy batter. Add in Pistachio Nuts and mix.

4.) Evenly pour the cake batter into the two greased 8 inch round Cake Pans. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. / 175 degree C. oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wood toothpick comes out clean. You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the strength of your oven.

5.) Once done baking, let the cakes cool inside their pans for 20 minutes. You can pull the Frosting out of the fridge to at this time as the cake cools. Once 20 minutes have passed, remove the cakes from the pans and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool for an additional 20 minutes. These cooling steps are important! If you try to decorate your cake while it’s still hot, you will make a big melted, gloopy mess.

6.) Once Cake is cooled, and the Frosting is at room temperature, place the first layer of cake upside down on the cake display so the flat bottom becomes the new top. Spread a thin layer of Frosting onto the cake and then place the second layer of cake on top of it upside down as well. This allows for a nice and even flat top to decorate on. Frost the cake all the way around and on top and smooth out. Then decorate with the saved Pistachio nuts you chopped. Serve to friends and family and Enjoy!


Extra Info: I tend to like nutty desserts. Peanut Butter Cookies, Pecan pie, and of course, this wonderfully green and vibrant Pistachio Nut Cake. They’re great! If you or your guests are allergic to nuts, then obviously you would disagree on how great they are. Hehe. XD This recipe is pretty straight forward. It’s a simple Yellow Cake Recipe with Pistachio Pudding Mix and Pistachio nuts in it. I like using this method to make exotic cakes. Buy any powdered pudding mix and add it to your favorite cake batter and tada: New flavor! Banana pudding works wonderfully well in this method. Try your own combinations!

The Pistachios I use are indeed the Salted variety. The Salt plays nicely on the tongue when mixed with the sweet White Chocolate Frosting. You could easily use unsalted Pistachio Nuts if you prefer.

As for the White Chocolate Frosting, it does tend to dry out a bit as you decorate. You can return the bowl of frosting to a smooth, creamy texture by whisking in a Tbsp of Milk. This should help you evenly smear the frosting around the edges and the sides much easier. You can decorate the cake any way you like. I just tend to decorate with a simplistic hand to let the White Chocolate Frosting really shine. It’s a beautiful white that contrasts nicely with the vibrant green cake inside when you take a slice. Dramatic, but elegant. Happy New Year, everyone, and Happy Eating!

Cake being placed upside down before decorating.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12393299/

Beautiful, Vibrant Green Cake inside!
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12393365/