Servings
Prep Time
Cooking Time
INGREDIENTS
CAKE INGREDIENTS
- 1 box of yellow moist cake by Duncan Hines
- 3 large eggs (as per the recipe)
- 1 cup of buttermilk (this replaces the water in the recipe). If you don’t have buttermilk, you can also use full fat greek yogurt or full fat milk
- 1 4oz stick of softened butter (this replaces the oil in the recipe)
- 1 cup of unsalted pistachios roughly chopped. I used my food processor for this
- 2 drops of green food color-optional
- 1/8 cup of green cardamoms (elaichi)
SUGAR SYRUP AND GLAZE INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of white granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tablespoon of elaichi (green cardamom) powder
- 2 cloves
- 8-10 threads of saffron (optional)
- 2 tsp of rose water
Who doesn’t love cake? I know I do and I can never say no to a cake especially if it happens to have pistachios in it!! Let me introduce you to a cake that not only gets 100 percent in presentation but will have you reaching for seconds, Pistachio Cake with Cardamom Glaze!
Valentine’s Day is all about love and chocolates, but this Valentines Day I am choosing to share a recipe that takes me back to my roots, Iran, and India! Pistachios are very popular in Persian cooking and most, if not all Indian desserts have a presence of cardamom in them. When you combine these two ingredients together, you end up with a match made in heaven!
If you love Indian desserts, you will absolutely love this cake. It is a combination of gulab jamun and rasmalai all bundled up in one cake. The aroma of cardamom and saffron and cinnamon will have you salivating as soon as this cake hits the oven; hence, making it perfect for any occasion but especially if you are trying to impress someone special!
How do I prepare the Pistachio cake with cardamom glaze?
To prepare this cake, I chose to use a boxed cake mix. I find Duncan Hines has the BEST cake mixes and I just end up upgrading the ingredients (noted in the recipe below) and no one can ever tell the difference! Of course, if you are a baker, feel free to make your own cake batter.
I buy the pre-shelled pistachios and mix them in the cake batter. Once the cake is baked, I top it with sugar syrup (also known as chashni), as this helps to keep the cake extra moist. This syrup is flavored with aromatic Indian flavors. I prepare the glaze by whisking some of the sugar syrup with an electric mixer.
Can I make the Pistachio Cake with Cardamom Glaze ahead of time?
Yes, you absolutely can! Just hold off on pouring the glaze till you are ready to eat. You can refrigerate it and bring it to room temperature before eating.
Do I have to use the Glaze?
No, you can skip the glaze if you don’t like it. The sugar syrup is loaded with Indian flavors and you won’t even miss the glaze!
Can I freeze the cake?
It is good in the freezer for upto 3 months.
Where can I buy the Indian ingredients for the Pistachio cake with cardamom glaze?
All of the Indian ingredients needed for this recipe are available at Indian grocery stores. You can check out my recent post on Online Indian Grocery Stores in the USA.
What other desserts can I prepare?
I am listing some of my other desserts and recipes below:
- Using a coffee bean grinder, grind the green cardamoms (elaichi) into a fine powder and set aside
- Prepare the cake batter as per the directions on the box substituting the ingredients as listed above
- Add in the pistachios (reserve some for garnish) and 1 tablespoon of the cardamom powder
- Bake the cake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes
TIP:
I typically bake this cake in a bundt cake pan
Insert a toothpick in the cake and if it comes out clean, your cake is ready! - While the cake is baking, let’s prepare the sugar syrup
- Bring 1 cup of water to boil and in all the ingredients listed under the Sugar Syrup recipe
- Mix till the sugar has completely dissolved and set aside
- Once the cake comes out of the oven, using a toothpick, poke tiny holes all over the cake (do this while the cake is hot)
- Using a large spoon, start pouring the sugar syrup over the warm cake (reserving a 1/4 cup of sugar syrup for the glaze). Don’t panic if it looks too much as the cake will absorb all the syrup
- Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan
TIP:
When you are ready to remove the cake from the pan, place a cake platter on top of the cake pan, and flip it - While the cake cools, prepare the glaze using the remaining sugar syrup and mixing it with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes
- Pour the glaze on top of the cake. Garnish with pistachios and rose petals
- Enjoy this cake with a hot cup of cardamom chai!!
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