"He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry — but the woman didn’t have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life."
--Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, JK Rowling
Sweets. Something I haven't posted about yet on this blog. Candy doesn't usually do it for me where sweets are concerned, but I sure would have tore into the Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes on the trolley aboard Hogwarts Express. If I'm going to indulge in sweets, I want a gooey cake or a napoleon, or a piece of decadent chocolate concoction smothered in ganache.
Sweets. Something I haven't posted about yet on this blog. Candy doesn't usually do it for me where sweets are concerned, but I sure would have tore into the Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes on the trolley aboard Hogwarts Express. If I'm going to indulge in sweets, I want a gooey cake or a napoleon, or a piece of decadent chocolate concoction smothered in ganache.
I don't bake often, but when I do, I try to tackle those kinds of desserts. I always want to try my hand at a pastry, tart, difficult truffle recipe, and any myriad of pies. I did not grow up around lavish dessert bakers. My Grandma Ige baked basic recipes: cookies, Texas sheet cake, a carrot cake to die for, but she very rarely baked pies. She hated making pie crust. My Great-Grandma Rosie made little Hungarian treats of dough with a pat of butter, cottage cheese, and apricot preserves folded in the center. I have no idea what she called them, but they were damn good. Most of the time at Rosie's house, we picked fresh berries to put on store bought vanilla ice cream. At my Dad's restaurant, The Inn, in Rockford, Illinois, I used to watch the Eastern European lady who came in everyday to bake fresh bread and the occasional dessert. I used to love to watch her knead and proof dough. So...for the most part, I am a self taught baker.
Sometimes I fail. And when I do, I fail on a grand scale. I've thrown out many a bread dough, pie crust, too hard set fudge, and a dozen or so batches of ill-tempered chocolate.
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| A successful pear and almond tart. |
Sometimes I'm successful, and when I am, I am proud as a peacock! That's how I feel about the Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting I made my husband for Valentine's Day. I can no longer remember where I found this recipe. It was on a piece of notebook paper in the back of one of my cookbooks. I more than likely copied it out of a magazine at some point. It was a time consuming endeavor, but so worth it in the end!
Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting
This is a very dense and uniquely flavored cake. I will not lie, I HATE making buttercream frosting, mostly because it seems to be temperamental. I have failed at it several times, but I keep making it because it is the only way to finally master it.
For this cake and frosting, you will need the following:
For the cake:
2 cups shelled pistachios
2-1/2 cups cake flour (cake flour is important here for texture)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups ice cold water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the frosting:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, somewhat soft but still cold, cut in small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 Tablespoons real honey
To begin, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and set aside. I use shortening to grease my pans for baking.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pistachios until they are coarsely chopped. remove one cup of the coarse chopped nuts to a large bowl and set aside.
Keep the remaining 1 cup of coarse chopped nuts in the food processor and process until they are very fine.
Stir the finely chopped nuts into the coarsely chopped nuts.
Ice down some water and let sit while you do the following. Sift the two different types of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together over 1 cup of the pistachio mix. Make sure you set aside one cup of nuts for decorating the cake. Even if your flour says it is pre-sifted, SIFT THE FLOUR. When baking, this make a difference in texture of he finished product.
Once you have sifted the flours over the nuts, whisk it all together really well. You will have a flour mixture with some rough chopped grains of pistachios in it.
Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the ice water you set aside. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and ice water to the butter and sugar mixture. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times during the mixing. Your batter should look like the batter below.
Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans. Lightly tap the pans on the counter in order to release air bubbles to the top of the batter. Bake in the 325 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a pick in the center comes out clean.
When the cakes are baked through, transfer the pans to a cooling rack. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes. This time is crucial before releasing the cakes from the pans. If you try to release them too soon, they will crumble.
When the 20 minutes has passed, run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out of the pans onto the rack. Cool completely before frosting. I will often wrap cake layers in clean dish towels once completely cooled, and let them sit over night before frosting the next day.
IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM!
Here goes...In a heavy bottom saucepan, whisk the flour and sugar together. Add the mild and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking regularly to keep from scorching. I have scorched many a frosting by not paying attention to it and not stirring enough. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil and is thickened. This can take anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes total time.
My dog, Asta, was completely bored while I cooled the mixture!
After mixing for 10 minutes, turn the mixer on low and begin adding the butter a bit at a time. It is really important for the butter to be a bit on the soft side but still cold!! I have ruined many a buttercream by having the butter too soft and warm. Trust me, err on the side of too hard and cold. It may look like the butter will never full incorporate, but I promise, it will.
When all the butter is mixed in, turn the mixer to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Mix in the honey and vanilla.
The finished buttercream may seem a bit thin for frosting. If it is, you can add 1 to 2 Tablespoon of cornstarch and beat well to help it thicken. Do not add more than this, it will change the taste of the frosting. I like to put my buttercream in the refrigerator for awhile and let it chill before frosting. I find this to help with the thickening.
Frost the top of the bottom layer.
Place he top layer on the frosting.
Begin frosting the sides and top. I like to use my counter scraper for frosting cakes. It's easier to spread a wide swatch of frosting this way.
Once the cake is frosted, use the reserved pistachios to decorate the top and sides if you choose. I prefer to refrigerate this cake before cutting and serving.
ENJOY!!
Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting Recipe Card
Ingredients
For the cake:
2 cups shelled pistachios
2-1/2 cups cake flour (cake flour is important here for texture)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups ice cold water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the frosting:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butte, somewhat soft but still cold, cut in small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 Tablespoons real honey
1. To begin, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans and set aside. I used shortening to grease my pans for baking. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pistachios until they are coarsely chopped. remove one cup of the coarse chopped nuts to a large bowl and set aside. Keep the remaining 1 cup of coarse chopped nuts in the food processor and process until they are very fine. Stir the finely chopped nuts into the coarsely chopped nuts.
2. Ice down some water and let sit while you do the following. Sift the two different types of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together over 1 cup of the pistachio mix. Make sure you set aside one cup of nuts for decorating the cake. Once you have sifted the flours over the nuts, whisk it all together really well.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until it is light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes. Add the whole egg and mix until blended.
4. Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the ice water you set aside. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and ice water to the butter and sugar mixture. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times during the mixing.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature egg whites and the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the batter. Make sure you gently fold rather than vigorously stir.
6. Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans. Lightly tap the pans on the counter in order to release air bubbles to the top of the batter. Bake in the 325 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a pick in the center comes out clean.
When the cakes are bake through, transfer the pans to a cooling rack. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes. This time is crucial before releasing the cakes from the pans. If you try to release them too soon, they will crumble.
When the 20 minutes has passed, run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out of the pans onto the rack. Cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING
1. In a heavy bottom saucepan, whisk the flour and sugar together. Add the mild and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking regularly to keep from scorching. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil and is thickened. This can take anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes total time.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat on high speed until cool, about 10 minutes. Don't skimp on cooling down the sugar mix.
3. After mixing for 10 minutes, turn the mixer on low and begin adding the butter a bit at a time.
4. When all the butter is mixed in, turn the mixer to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and honey.
5. Frost the cake!
This is a very dense and uniquely flavored cake. I will not lie, I HATE making buttercream frosting, mostly because it seems to be temperamental. I have failed at it several times, but I keep making it because it is the only way to finally master it.
For this cake and frosting, you will need the following:
For the cake:
2 cups shelled pistachios
2-1/2 cups cake flour (cake flour is important here for texture)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups ice cold water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the frosting:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, somewhat soft but still cold, cut in small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 Tablespoons real honey
To begin, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and set aside. I use shortening to grease my pans for baking.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pistachios until they are coarsely chopped. remove one cup of the coarse chopped nuts to a large bowl and set aside.
Keep the remaining 1 cup of coarse chopped nuts in the food processor and process until they are very fine.
Stir the finely chopped nuts into the coarsely chopped nuts.
Ice down some water and let sit while you do the following. Sift the two different types of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together over 1 cup of the pistachio mix. Make sure you set aside one cup of nuts for decorating the cake. Even if your flour says it is pre-sifted, SIFT THE FLOUR. When baking, this make a difference in texture of he finished product.
Once you have sifted the flours over the nuts, whisk it all together really well. You will have a flour mixture with some rough chopped grains of pistachios in it.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until it is light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes. Add the whole egg and mix until blended.
Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the ice water you set aside. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and ice water to the butter and sugar mixture. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times during the mixing. Your batter should look like the batter below.
In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature egg whites and the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the batter. Make sure you gently fold rather than vigorously stir.
 |
| Egg white with soft peaks |
 |
| Batter with egg whites folded in. |
Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans. Lightly tap the pans on the counter in order to release air bubbles to the top of the batter. Bake in the 325 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a pick in the center comes out clean.
When the cakes are baked through, transfer the pans to a cooling rack. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes. This time is crucial before releasing the cakes from the pans. If you try to release them too soon, they will crumble.
When the 20 minutes has passed, run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out of the pans onto the rack. Cool completely before frosting. I will often wrap cake layers in clean dish towels once completely cooled, and let them sit over night before frosting the next day.
IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM!
Here goes...In a heavy bottom saucepan, whisk the flour and sugar together. Add the mild and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking regularly to keep from scorching. I have scorched many a frosting by not paying attention to it and not stirring enough. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil and is thickened. This can take anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes total time.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat on high speed until cool, about 10 minutes. Don't skimp on cooling down the sugar mix. Temperatures are going to be key to a successful buttercream.
My dog, Asta, was completely bored while I cooled the mixture!
After mixing for 10 minutes, turn the mixer on low and begin adding the butter a bit at a time. It is really important for the butter to be a bit on the soft side but still cold!! I have ruined many a buttercream by having the butter too soft and warm. Trust me, err on the side of too hard and cold. It may look like the butter will never full incorporate, but I promise, it will.
When all the butter is mixed in, turn the mixer to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Mix in the honey and vanilla.
The finished buttercream may seem a bit thin for frosting. If it is, you can add 1 to 2 Tablespoon of cornstarch and beat well to help it thicken. Do not add more than this, it will change the taste of the frosting. I like to put my buttercream in the refrigerator for awhile and let it chill before frosting. I find this to help with the thickening.
Frost the top of the bottom layer.
Place he top layer on the frosting.
Begin frosting the sides and top. I like to use my counter scraper for frosting cakes. It's easier to spread a wide swatch of frosting this way.
Once the cake is frosted, use the reserved pistachios to decorate the top and sides if you choose. I prefer to refrigerate this cake before cutting and serving.
ENJOY!!
Pistachio Cake with Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting Recipe Card
Ingredients
For the cake:
2 cups shelled pistachios
2-1/2 cups cake flour (cake flour is important here for texture)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups ice cold water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the frosting:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butte, somewhat soft but still cold, cut in small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 Tablespoons real honey
1. To begin, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans and set aside. I used shortening to grease my pans for baking. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pistachios until they are coarsely chopped. remove one cup of the coarse chopped nuts to a large bowl and set aside. Keep the remaining 1 cup of coarse chopped nuts in the food processor and process until they are very fine. Stir the finely chopped nuts into the coarsely chopped nuts.
2. Ice down some water and let sit while you do the following. Sift the two different types of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together over 1 cup of the pistachio mix. Make sure you set aside one cup of nuts for decorating the cake. Once you have sifted the flours over the nuts, whisk it all together really well.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until it is light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes. Add the whole egg and mix until blended.
4. Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the ice water you set aside. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and ice water to the butter and sugar mixture. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times during the mixing.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature egg whites and the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the batter. Make sure you gently fold rather than vigorously stir.
6. Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans. Lightly tap the pans on the counter in order to release air bubbles to the top of the batter. Bake in the 325 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a pick in the center comes out clean.
When the cakes are bake through, transfer the pans to a cooling rack. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes. This time is crucial before releasing the cakes from the pans. If you try to release them too soon, they will crumble.
When the 20 minutes has passed, run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out of the pans onto the rack. Cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING
1. In a heavy bottom saucepan, whisk the flour and sugar together. Add the mild and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking regularly to keep from scorching. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil and is thickened. This can take anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes total time.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat on high speed until cool, about 10 minutes. Don't skimp on cooling down the sugar mix.
3. After mixing for 10 minutes, turn the mixer on low and begin adding the butter a bit at a time.
4. When all the butter is mixed in, turn the mixer to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and honey.
5. Frost the cake!
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