Description
Pistachio milk cake brings Middle Eastern charm to dessert tables with its rich, nutty elegance. Silky layers soaked in fragrant syrup create a luxurious experience that will transport you to Mediterranean kitchens with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 vanilla box cake mix (Trader Joe’s)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon pistachio extract
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) whole milk
- 12 ounces (340 grams) evaporated milk (1 can)
- 7 ounces (198 grams) sweetened condensed milk (½ can)
- 1 ¼ cups (300 milliliters) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon pistachio extract
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nuts and Garnish:
- 1 cup raw unsalted pistachios
- ½ cup pistachios, blended
- ½ cup pistachios, blended
- 3 tablespoons dried rose petals
- 1–2 drops green food coloring (adjust as needed)
- 1–2 drops green food coloring (adjust as needed)
Instructions
- Transform raw pistachios into a delicate powder by gently roasting them in a medium pan over moderate heat, ensuring a rich, nutty aroma without charring.
- Pulverize the roasted pistachios in a food processor, maintaining a fine, textured consistency without creating a smooth butter.
- Integrate a vanilla boxed cake mix with melted butter, milk, eggs, and a whisper of cardamom, blending until just combined.
- Infuse the batter with a subtle green hue and fold in a portion of the ground pistachios, creating a visual and textural intrigue.
- Prepare a 9×13-inch baking vessel with a light butter and flour coating, then pour the batter and bake according to package guidance.
- Allow the cake to cool and settle, creating a perfect canvas for the upcoming moisture treatment.
- Craft a luxurious milk elixir by whisking together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, cardamom, and ground pistachios.
- Enhance the liquid with a delicate green tint if desired, creating a visually appealing base.
- Perforate the cooled cake with systematic fork punctures, creating channels for the milk mixture to penetrate deeply.
- Lavish the cake with the prepared milk mixture, ensuring complete and even saturation.
- Refrigerate the cake, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify for a minimum of six hours.
- Whip heavy cream with vanilla and powdered sugar, creating a light, airy topping with precise, stiff peaks.
- Unmask the chilled cake and adorn it with billowing clouds of whipped cream, spreading evenly across the surface.
- Embellish with remaining chopped pistachios and delicate dried rose petals, creating a visually stunning presentation.
- Serve chilled, with an optional drizzle of reserved pistachio milk for an extra layer of indulgence.
Notes
- Precision matters when roasting pistachios to achieve a fragrant, golden color without burning.
- Blending pistachios requires a gentle touch to maintain texture and prevent turning into butter.
- Green food coloring adds a subtle visual appeal, enhancing the cake’s pistachio aesthetic.
- Poking holes ensures the milk mixture penetrates deeply, creating a moist and flavorful dessert.
- Refrigeration is crucial for allowing the cake to absorb the milk mixture completely, developing rich flavors.
- Whipped cream topping should be mixed to stiff peaks for a light, airy texture that complements the dense cake.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg