Monday, March 29, 2010

Piazza Pistachio Birthday Cake

""All right, just give me a cup of the pistachio there""

Corky Romano



March is a huge month for birthdays. My nephew, my brother, my mother(RIP), my best friend who i have known since third grade,<3, and my ex-best friend. :/ ( i always remember his b-day)

Growing up my brother and I requested (and ate) one special cake for our birthdays. Pistachio Cake. My mother had introduced us to it. A simple box cake ( horror) . SO UGLY and SOOO delicious.

My mother passed away 10 years ago. However, our memory of her thru this cake, lives on. This is why i love to bake. I would bake and cook with my mom. She would call me from work, and "walk"thru the directions for cooking the nights dinner. I resented this as a teen, however now i am grateful. Day after Xmas breakfast was cake and cookies. The power of food and memories...family.

My sis-in law continues to bake this cake for my brother. My niece now requests it. The tradition continues......







Ingredients:


* One 18-1/4 ounce yellow cake mix
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup club soda
* 2 boxes (3.4 ounce) instant pistachio pudding, divided
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 pound white pistachio nuts in the shell, shelled and crushed*
* 1-1/2 cups milk
* 1 envelope (1-1/2 ounce) envelope of powdered whipping cream

Preparation:
Mix in bowl the cake mix, eggs, club soda, 1 box of the pudding, oil, and 1/2 cup of the nuts. Mix well and bake in a greased and floured bundt* or tube cake pan for 45 minutes at 325 degrees F. Cake is done when a long toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Completely cool on rack. When cool, place cake on serving plate and completely cover with the below icing. Keep cake in the refrigerator.

Icing: Mix 1-1/2 cups milk, with instant whipped topping, and 1 box instant pistachio pudding. Mix on low to combine and then on high for 4 minutes. Fold in nuts and spread on cooled cake.

For a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan, bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool in pan and then ice.
* 1 cup walnuts, pecans or shelled pistachios, chopped and lightly toasted may be substituted for the pistachios in the shells




Molto Grazie MOM, xoxoxoxoxo

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