Pistachio Pudding Cake

Pistachios. You can never eat just one. At least I can't. With the exception of this recipe, Chocolate Pudding Torte, where my mom often substituted the chocolate with pistachio, I haven't found many recipes for these yummy nuts. While grocery shopping, I grabbed a couple of bags to remind myself I needed to change that. 


I adapted a Pillsbury recipe a bit to come up with this. Pudding cakes are my favorite to bake plus I am really liking the layer cakes these days. While the pistachio flavor is of course dominant here, the flavor is so smooth, the frosting not too thick and the cake moist. So if you like pistachios, you have to try this. You will wonder how you ever lived without it...


Cake:
3/4 cup Crisco butter shortening
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups water
1 (3 3/4 oz) package pistachio instant pudding
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder


Frosting:
1 (3 3/4 oz.) package pistachio instant pudding
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cups pistachios, shelled and finely chopped
1 (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2, 9" round layer pans with cooking spray.


Combine shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with mixer until light and fluffy. Add water, pudding mix, flour and baking powder. Beat at low speed until blended, scraping bowl constantly. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes, again scraping sides of bowl constantly. Pour into prepared pans.


Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pans to cool completely.


Frosting: Combine pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl. Beat at medium speed 1 minute. Fold in whipped topping. Remove one cup of frosting from bowl and combine with chopped pistachios. Spread on top of the bottom layer of cake. Place unfrosted (second) top cake layer. Spread remaining frosting on sides and top of both layers, covering the complete cake.


Chill before serving and keep in airtight container in refrigerator between servings.