Lemon pistachio cake with mascarpone frosting

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Serves: 8

Pistachios, roasted, shelled	¾ cup
Lemon zest	2 lemons
Flour, cake	1 ½ cups
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Baking soda	¼ teaspoon
Sour cream	¼ cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Milk, whole	1/3 cup
Butter, unsalted, softened	½ cup
Sugar	1 cup
Salt, kosher	¾ teaspoon
Eggs	3 large
Frosting
Mascarpone, softened	¾ cup
Sugar, powdered	¾ cup
Cream, heavy	1 tablespoon
Lemon zest	1 teaspoon
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon
Salt, kosher	1/8 teaspoon

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
2. Line the bottom of a buttered 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, then butter the paper. 
3. Place the pistachios and zest into a food processor bowl; pulse until finely ground (but not buttered). 
4. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. 
5. Whisk together the sour cream, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl; set aside. 
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt, about 3 minutes. 
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. 
8. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients (in three additions) and the wet ingredients (in two additions), starting and ending with the dry. 
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top. 
10. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
11. Cool 10 minutes. 
12. Carefully remove the cake from the pan, peel off and discard the paper, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
13. Combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl. 
14. Mix until just smooth, being careful not to overman. 
15. Frost the cake, then sprinkle on extra crushed pistachios. 

Recipe from the Costco Connection magazine.

Cinnamon swirl & toasted pecan Bundt

Batter
Flour, cake, sifted	11.25 ounces
Baking powder	1 ½ teaspoons
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Salt, kosher	¾ teaspoon
Butter, unsalted, softened	1 cup
Coconut oil, melted	¼ cup
Sugar, superfine	1 2/3 cups
Eggs, room temperature	4 large
Vanilla extract	1 tablespoon
Orange zest, finely grated	1 teaspoon
Sour cream, full fat, room temperature	2 cups
Filling
Pecans, lightly toasted, finely chopped	1 cup
Sugar, granulated	3 tablespoons
Sugar, brown	3 tablespoons
Cinnamon, Ceylon, ground	2 teaspoons
Cocoa powder, unsweetened	2 teaspoons
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Glaze
Sugar, confectioners	1 cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Butter, unsalted	3 tablespoons
Milk	1 teaspoon
Salt	Pinch

Batter

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. 
2. Brush the inside of the Bundt cake pan with melted butter; dust with flour. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
4. In a stand mixer bowl, beat the butter and coconut oil on medium speed until smooth and light in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. 
5. Add the sugar, 1/3-cup at a time, creaming until light and fluffy; scrape the bowl. 
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. 
7. Scrape the bowl, and add the vanilla and zest. 
8. On the lowest mixer speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream in small amounts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; do not over-mix the batter. 

Filling

1. In a medium bowl, combine the pecan meal, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa. 
2. Use your fingertips to blend until well combined. 

Bundt

1. Spoon two-heaping cups of the batter into the prepared Bundt. 
2. Smooth with the back of a spoon, spreading the batter to the sides of the pan first and then to the center cone to create a well for the filling. 
3. Sprinkle about ½-cup filling evenly into the well. 
4. Cover the filling with about 2-cups batter, dropping dollops around the pan and smoothing with the spoon. 
5. Sprinkle another ½-cup filling evenly over the batter, and cover with 2-cups batter. 
6. Repeat until you end with batter as your final layer; ideally you’ll have four layers of batter and three layers of filling. 
7. Insert a butter knife 1 inch from the side of the pan straight into the batter going almost to the bottom. 
8. Run the blade around the pan twice, without lifting, spacing your loops about 1 inch apart for optimal cinnamon swirling effect. 
9. Tap the pan firmly several times on a cutting board or counter top to release any bubbles from the batter. 
10. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown, the sides are beginning to pull away from the pan, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. 
11. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting the pan to release the cake. 

Glaze

1. Melt the butter; stir in the vanilla, salt, and sugar. 
2. Use up to 1-teaspoon milk to reach desired consistency, then pour over the cooled cake. 

Recipe from the Nordic Ware label that wrapped around my new Bundt pan.

Angel cake

Egg whites, fresh, room temperature	1 ½ cups
Sugar, superfine	¾ cup + ¾ cup
Cake flour, sifted	1 cup
Cream of tartar	¼ teaspoon
Salt	¼ teaspoon
Vanilla extract or paste	2 teaspoons
Almond extract	1 teaspoon

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together ¾ cup sugar and the flour; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy, and then add the cream of tartar and salt.
4. Beat until fully incorporated, and then add the remaining ¾ cup sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.
5. Beat egg mixture to soft peaks. (A soft peak is when the egg whites look like soft waves, and when you lift the beater, the peaks droop back down into the batter. Avoid beating too long and forming stiff peaks.)
6. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, and beat for a few seconds to evenly distribute.
7. Sift the flour and sugar mixture over the egg whites in six to eight additions, and gently fold it in after each addition. (A gently touch is necessary, which cannot be rushed.)
8. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 9-inch tube pan with a removeable bottom.
9. Smooth the top with a spatula, and tap the pan on the counter once or twice to ensure that there are no large bubbles lurking beneath the batter’s surface.
10. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
11. Cool on a wire rack for at least an hour.
12. Gently run a thin knife around the sides (including the center), and then around the bottom of the pan to release the cake when you are ready to serve.

Note: As an experiment, I've tested this recipe with both plain and roasted sugar. Hubby claims the roasted is less sweet tasting while being more caramel flavored from an initial taste test.