Orange & Pistachio Bundt Cakes

More cake please.

These little bundts are fabulous.

Ground nuts are definitely my favorite addition to cake batter, and the pistachio orange glaze is so good.

If you've been following my blog these past 6 plus years you know I used to say "I am no baker, I don't like to bake because I don't like to follow rules".

Well, I have eaten my words (literally!).
As Debby from A Feast for the Eyes said "Stacey, I think you have earned your baker's tiara".
Thanks Deb.

I now love to bake, and I do my own thing with pretty good results.
You can be creative with baking and put your own spin on recipes, it's not such an exact science after all.

Who knew?

Orange & Pistachio Bundt Cakes: (makes 6 mini bundts or 1 large cake)

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of an orange
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon orange blossom water or orange juice
1/2 cup finely ground pistachios or almond meal

Glaze:

1 cup of confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup of chopped pistachios

Make the glaze: add the chopped nuts to the sugar and juice mixture. You will pour this over the cakes when they come out of the oven.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and place aside.

Mix the milk w/ the eggs, then add in the sugar and zest. Mix in the butter w/ a hand mixer and add in the almond extract and orange blossom water (no big deal if you omit this fancy ingredient, but I have the bottle, so why not use it?).

Mix in the ground nuts last then incorporate the flour mixture to form a nice rich cake batter.

Make sure your pan(s) are greased well with butter and floured or the cake will stick.

Pour the batter evenly into 6 mini bundt molds or one bundt pan.

If you are baking this in an individual cake, then bake for 35-40 minutes, if using mini bundts they will only take about 25 minutes to bake.

Let rest in pan about 10 minutes before unmolding.

Drizzle the icing glaze w/ the nuts on top of the cakes and sprinkle w/ extra orange zest if you like (and I like) and let cool completely.

So good!

I wear my tiara proudly!