Harvest Cake with Pistachios

Like carrot cake? This moist, tasty cake is made even better with pistachios and makes a wonderful dessert for a potluck or holiday dinner.

Recipe Ingredients:

Cake:
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups carrot, grated
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup natural California pistachios, finely chopped
2 (8-ounce) containers pineapple yogurt

Icing:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
5 cups unsifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
3 to 4 tablespoons orange juice, or as needed

Cooking Directions:

1. For Cake: Mix oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and carrots in large bowl.
2. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and 3/4 cup pistachios.
3. Mix portions of dry mixture (about 1/3 at a time) into egg mixture alternately with yogurt. Turn into greased and floured 14-cup Bundt® pan or crown ring mold.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour 15 minutes or until pick inserted into cake comes out dry.
5. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then loosen top edges and gently invert from pan onto wire rack.
6. When cake is completely cool, spread Icing on top and decorate with remaining 1/4 cup pistachios.
7. For Icing: Beat butter with powdered sugar, orange peel and enough orange juice to make a good spreadable consistency. Makes 3 cups icing.

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the California Pistachio Board.