Monday, September 10, 2012

Pistachio polenta pound cake

Polenta pistachio cake / Bolo de milho e pistache

People usually ask me for advice in baking and cooking and one thing I always tell them is to read the entire recipe before actually making it: it is important to know all the details prior to preparation. That is something I learned the hard way: I can’t tell you how many times I’d already be making something, looking forward to eating it only to read “refrigerate overnight” in the middle of the recipe. :S
Having said that, because of this pistachio and polenta cake I might start recommending reading the recipe twice: I did read the recipe and, knowing I had all the ingredients at home I went to the kitchen to make it. Oven preheated and ingredients before me, I started making the recipe only to read “whisk the yogurt and cornmeal in a medium bowl and let it stand for 45 minutes”. My brain or my eyes somehow skipped that piece of information, and I had to go back to the couch and wait longer to have a slice of this beauty – at least it tasted great and it was worth the waiting. :D

Pistachio polenta pound cake
from the absolutely great Cake Keeper Cakes

1 ½ cups (390g) plain yogurt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups (195g) shelled unsalted pistachios
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the yogurt and cornmeal in a medium bowl and let it stand for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour a 12-cup capacity Bundt pan.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Grind ¾ cup (97g) of the pistachios finely in a food processor (grind them with a couple of tablespoons of the flour mixture to avoid turning the nuts into a paste). Add the pistachio meal to the dry ingredients. Coarsely chop the remaining pistachios.
Place the butter and sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. On medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat in the vanilla.
On low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the yogurt mixture in two additions. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in the chopped pistachios.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 10-15 minutes then carefully invert it onto the rack. Cool completely before serving.

Serves 10-12

14 comments:

pam said...

I am so guilty of this. I really need to pay more attention upfront to the recipes! Looks lovely!

Jan said...

I usually "skim through" the recipe beforehand, and it almost always ends up with me encountering "surprises" mid-cake-making ;)
This bundt looks fantastic!

Sara said...

Love this cake! Polenta in baked goods is definitely one of my favorites. :)

Laura said...

I do this all the time too! This looks fantastic at any rate--pinning now!

Andreea said...

looks great! I made a mousse cake once and missed the "best if refrigerated for 2 days" line and I only had overnight...thankfully, it still tasted great :-)

Laura (Tutti Dolci) said...

Your cakes are always so enchanting!

Lynna said...

Same thing has happened to me so many times! Even when I reread the recipes! LOL.

This pound cake looks great! I think my dad will love this!

Anonymous said...

Happened to me sometimes, the rest part suddenly appears in the middle of the recipe so I have to wait longer than expected.
This recipe is wonderful, even the 45 minutes at the beginning :)

julie said...

It looks lovely. I like the crunch of the polenta in cakes :)

Deb said...

I have made polenta cakes before and did not like the crunch from the polenta that was still hard. Soaking the grain is well worth the wait! The pairing of pistachios with the polenta is an inspired combination, an exciting cake!

sunidhi said...

It looks yummy. texture is very good and mouth watering . definitely i will try this and let u know. thanks for this lovely post...

Makenzie said...

Is this more savory or sweet?

Patricia Scarpin said...

Hey, Mackenzie - it's sweet.

Anonymous said...

Hi Patricia,

I made this cake today and it is delicious. My husband and four of our neighbors (two of who are seven year old boys) agree. My husband commented that he appreciated the restrained amount of sugar which allowed the other ingredients to shine. I like how some of the pistachios are ground and some are chopped so you get plenty of pistachio flavor and nice textural contrast.

Thank you for being so generous with inspiring recipes.

Yours,

Ellen

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