Fluffy Pistachio Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Donut Bagels
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: one 8-inch cake
- Total: 2 hr 25 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients
Unsalted butter or nonstick cooking spray, for the pans and cooling rack
1 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Frosting, recipe follows
Donut Bagels, recipe follows
Sprinkles, for garnish
Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces (1 cup) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Big pinch kosher salt
2 drops pink gel food coloring, with a spot of brown, preferably AmeriColor Deep Pink and Chocolate Brown
Donut Bagels:
Marzipan, kneaded with food coloring to make lox, tomatoes, capers and onions
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Mixture of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, a pinch of kosher salt and turbinado sugar, for seeded topping
6 mini store-bought plain or lightly-glazed cake donuts, preferably Hostess Donettes
Simple syrup, for adhering toppings
Plain cream cheese, at room temperature, for schmearing on the donut “bagel”
Directions
- Position an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Place the pistachios in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and grind them until you have small crumbs. Measure out 1/4 cup of the crumbs and set them aside for the filling.
- Pour the remaining crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, extracts and 3/4 cup water. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then pour into the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, begin checking for doneness at 28 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them onto a greased cooling rack and cool completely.
- Level the cake rounds and spread the top of one cake with a layer of Frosting. Sprinkle on the reserved ground pistachios. Place the other cake round on top, cut-side down, then frost all over with the remaining Frosting.
- Place the Donut Bagels on the top of the cake. Decorate the top and sides of the cake with the sprinkles.
Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and salt until smooth. Add the food coloring and whisk until fully combined.
Donut Bagels:
- Color and shape the marzipan on a powdered sugar dusted surface. Cut into circles for tomatoes. Smash into oblong shapes for salmon. Roll into little balls for capers. And to make the onions, just brush a bit of food coloring on the edges of slivered marzipan.
- Put the seeded topping mixture in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the donuts with simple syrup, then dip into the seeded topping, pressing down slightly so everything adheres. Cut the donuts in half and spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the cut sides of the top and bottom pieces. To the bottom halves, add the marzipan salmon, tomato, onions and capers. Top with the seeded donut halves.