A green cake is not something one sees everyday, but, a green cake would obviously be an ideal dessert to serve for your St. Patrick's Day celebration. That said, this recipe came into my life for a very different celebration -- my bridal shower. My (now retro) signature color was a pale shade of prissy avocado green. A close friend of my mother offered to bake the cakes -- three, three-layer cakes decoratively slathered with a lovely shade of pastel-green frosting presented on three graduated-height cake pedestals. Agnes loved to bake and was a wonderful baker.
Use a boxed cake mix? In the case of this cake -- you betcha.
The cakes tasted as good as they looked, and, a few weeks later, in August, for my 21st birthday, my mom to asked Agnes to bake the same cake, as, the peridot, my birthstone, is also a similar green color. As it turns out, Agnes was headed to Florida to visit her sister (meaning she couldn't bake the cake), so, she gave my mom the recipe, which, surprisingly used a boxed cake mix. Agnes explained, "You can't make this cake from scratch, it just doesn't come out the same."
Agnes was correct. I tried transitioning this recipe into my recipes for double-vanilla cake or cupcakes, and, sweet cream sheet cake, and, it doesn't come out the same. As for the flavorings, both cakes tasted great, but, the pudding alters their density, which is why baking is considered a science, and, why you are getting a recipe using a boxed cake mix from me. As my grandmother said often, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Simply enjoy this easy cake recipe just as it is.
It can't be made from scratch -- it won't come out the same.
For the cake:
1 15.25-ounce Duncan-Hines classic yellow boxed cake mix
1 3.4-ounce package Jell-O instant pistachio pudding
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure pistachio extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/4 cups water
2 drops green food coloring (optional)
no-stick cooking spray, for preparing bundt pan
~Step 1. In a large bowl, place the dry cake mix and instant pudding. Add the eggs, oil and extracts. Add the water followed by the optional food coloring (because of the pudding, the cake will still be a pale green without the food coloring). Over medium-high speed of hand-held electric mixer, beat the mixture until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.
~Step 2. Transfer batter to a bundt pan prepared with no-stick cooking spray. Bake on center rack of 325º oven 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in several spots comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and cool, in pan, 15-20 minutes, prior to inverting onto rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.
For the cream-cheese drizzle:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, very soft
2 cups Confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons pure pistachio extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 drop green food coloring
2 tablespoons milk, plus 1-2 teaspoons more, if necessary
1/4 cup lightly-toasted and finely-ground pistachios
~Step 1. In work bowl of mini-food processor, grind the pistachios and set aside. In work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, place all the remaining ingredients: the cream cheese, Confectioners' sugar, extracts, food coloring and 2 tablespoons milk. With motor running, process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the work bowl with a rubber spatula once or twice during the process. Process in additional milk, by teaspoonfuls, to reach desired drizzly consistency.
~ Step 2. Transfer the drizzly glaze to a 1-cup measuring container with a pourer spout or into a plastic squeeze bottle/condiment dispenser. Using a slow back and forth motion, drizzle all of the glaze evenly over the top of the cake. While the glaze is still shiny and wet, sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top.
Slice & serve for any occasion requiring a green dessert:
St. Patricks's Day, a bridal or baby shower, or, an August birthday:
Green-for-the-Day Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake: Recipe yields 12-16 servings.
Special Equipment List: hand-held electric mixer; rubber spatula; 12-cup bundt pan; cake tester; wire cooling rack; mini-food processor; food processor
Cook's Note: For a few of my St. Patrick's Day celebratory main-dish meals, allow me to suggest you try my: ~ Easy Cottage Pie (Beef) & Shepherd's Pie (Lamb) ~, ~ Brown Sugar Crusted Corned Beef Sandwiches ~, or, ~ Another Crockpot Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe ~. That said, whatever you choose to serve, be sure to serve it with ~ Irish Eyes are Smilin' on Mary's Irish Soda Bread ~ slathered with Irish butter.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)
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