During the holidays I was able to take some time to bake a cake. I had some fresh new pistachios from my friends in Bronte, Italy, along with their pura pistachio paste. I found a recipe from Pure Vegan cookbook by Joseph Shuldiner, and then made some adjustments to get the perfect cake that was loved by all. It is simple and packs a punch in both flavor and presentation. I used our Bio Blend from Torre Bianca to make it extra special. Even if not at the holidays, it still looks and tastes so special. Give it a try.
CAKE
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
- 2/3 cup shelled pistachios (3 ounces), toasted
- 1/2 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt (cashew is my favorite)
- 6 oz. soft silken tofu
- 3/4 cup sugar (I prefer coconut palm suger)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon banking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
* I also added 2 Tablespoons of Pistachio Pura for extra pistachio flavor, if you can find it.
TOPPING
- 1 orange (entire orange, minus the seeds)
- 1 lemon (include only the juice and outer zest of the lemon)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar (again, coconut palm sugar is great)
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur or flavoring
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios (1 1/4 ounces) toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
Directions to make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
- Oil the bottom and sides of a 9" cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until roughly ground. Don't overdo it.
- In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, tofu, sugar, olive oil and vanilla (and pistachio pura, if you have it), and beat at medium speed until well combine.
- Sift flour, banking powder, banking soda, and salt into a separate bowl. Then, add to the tofu mixture and beat until well combined.
- Add the pistachios and beat until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 mins. Until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool briefly, then invert onto a wire rack, remove the pan, and let cool completely.
To make the topping:
- Slice the orange in half then cut into 1/4 inch slices.
- Squeeze and zest the lemon.
- Remove all seeds from both.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the orange, lemon juice and zest, water, sugar and Grand Marnier.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, then lower the heat, cover and simmer until the fruit is soft and pliable and starting to break down, about 1 hour.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse repeatedly until thick and chunky.
Spread the topping evenly over the top of the cake. Garnish with chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds before serving.
Enjoy!
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