In a phone conversation with my dad last week, I had asked him what he thought of the idea of combining two of his favorite things: poundcake and pistachio. And a rare thing happened...he was agreeable. This is the result...
Pistachio Poundcake
1 box (16 oz.) Betty Crocker Poundcake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Jell-O Instant Pudding Mix, Pistachio flavor
4 large eggs
1 c. water
3 T. melted butter (no substitutes)
2 T. chopped pistachio nuts (optional)
Place oven rack in middle of oven; heat oven to 350˚.
Grease and flour selected baking pan:
12-cup Bundt pan; 9x5" loaf pan; or, two 8x4" loaf pans
Whisk pudding mix into cake mix; blend well. Beat in eggs, water, butter, and chopped nuts. Pour batter into pan; spread evenly.
Bake as follows:
Bundt = 38-43 minutes
one 9x5" loaf pan = 50-60 minutes
two 8x4" loaf pans = 33-40 minutes
Test doneness: a toothpick inserted into center of cake should come out clean.
Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
NOTE:
My cake came out a little too moist in the center, yet the top was getting very browned. Next time, I think I'd begin baking it at 350˚ for the first 15-20 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 325˚ for the next 45-60 more minutes.
Also note that I added 2 drops of green food coloring to the batter, although I'm not sure how much difference it made:
Please don't write me to inform that "poundcake" is supposed to be 2 words. SHUT UP. I don't care. I'm spelling it the way I want.
I admit that I cheated a little bit by combining a Duncan Hines recipe I pilfered from online with a Betty Crocker box mix. But either way, I was able to get the results I wanted, basically. Dad was happy, and that was the point of this experiment, anyhow.
