GLUTEN FREE PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE CHIP POUND CAKE with DAIRY FREE directions

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     I decided to make this recipe because it is almost St. Patricks Day and the recipe stated that the cake would be green.  The cake is not even the slightest shade of green, but I am quite happy that I made it anyway because it is amazing!  The cake has a hint of almond and pistachio flavor and a moist light center with dark brown edges.  It has such a lovely texture.  The chocolate ganache glaze over the chocolate chip and pistachio studded cake is to die for.

     It takes a bit more work than some cakes, but everyone will be raving about it and asking for seconds.  If you want it very green for St. Patricks Day you will have to add some green food coloring to the batter, but I think if you put a shamrock on the top no one will notice or care if it is not bright green.  If you serve it for any other occasion people’s mouths will be too busy chewing to even think about what color the cake is.

GLUTEN FREE PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE CHIP POUND CAKE

Makes one 10 cup Bundt cake or one 9” x 5” loaf cake

INDREDIENTS

CAKE

1 stick/1/2 cup/4 oz.	Unsalted Butter (for Dairy Free use ¼ cup margarine & ¼ cup non hydrogenated shortening)
1 ¼ cup	Sugar
¼ cup	Oil - light tasting such as sunflower or canola
6 Tbs.	Cream Cheese (for Dairy Free use Dairy Free cream cheese)
¼ cup	Pistachio Paste (see recipe below or use store bought)
¾ cup	Sorghum Flour
½ cup	Tapioca Flour
¼ cup	Chickpea Flour
¼ cup	Coconut Flour
¾ tsp.	Xanthan Gum
½ tsp.	Salt
1 ½ tsp.	Baking Powder
½ tsp.	Vanilla Extract
½ tsp.	Almond Extract
a few drops	Green Food Coloring (optional) if you want a green cake for St. Patricks Day.
5 large	Eggs
½ cup	Chocolate Chips - Semisweet
½ cup	Pistachio Nuts - Chopped

PISTACHIO PASTE

50 gm	Pistachio Nuts - shelled
25 gm	Sugar
12 gm	Almond Flour
1 ¼ tsp.	Water
¼ tsp.	Almond Extract

GLAZE

¾ cup	Chocolate Chips - Semisweet
⅓ cup	Heavy Cream
2 Tbs.	Pistachio Nuts - Chopped - for Garnish (optional)

(For a Dairy Free Glaze use the glaze from my GF ChocolateCake recipe)

DIRECTIONS

1)   Preheat the oven to 375℉.  Grease a bundt or loaf pan.

2)   To make pistachio paste:  Place the 50 grams of pistachio nuts & the 25 grams of sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine.  Add the almond flour and pulse until combined.  Add the water and almond extract and pulse until combined.  The mixture will be crumbly, but will hold together when pressed firmly.  Add to the recipe where indicated.

All of the ingredients ground together in the food processor.

Pistachio paste after gathering it together.

3)   In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and 1¼ cup sugar.

4)   Add the oil, pistachio paste & cream cheese and mix until fluffy.

Adding the cream cheese, pistachio paste & oil to the creamed butter and sugar mixture.

5)   In a separate bowl add the flours, xanthan gum, salt & baking powder and mix well.  Add to the butter mixture along with one egg and the vanilla & almond extracts, mix until well combined.

6)   Add the rest of the eggs one at a time mixing in well after each egg is added.  When done the batter will be smooth and fluffy.

Adding the eggs one at a time to the batter after the flour mixture has been incorporated.

The finished batter after all the eggs have been mixed in.

7)   Add the ½ cup chips and ½ cup of chopped pistachio nuts and mix into the batter on low speed.

Batter with chocolate chips and nuts mixed in.

8)   Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

9)   Bake for 10 minutes at 375℉.  Then turn down the oven temperature to 350℉ and bake another 30 - 40 minutes.  The cake is done if it springs back when lightly touched with a finger or when a cake tester or wooden toothpick comes out clean.

10)  Allow the cake to cool in the pan 5 minutes before carefully running a knife along the edges and inverting the cake onto a rack to cool completely.

Cake cooling on a rack.

11)   When the cake is cooled completely make the glaze.  Heat the cream in the microwave or stovetop until hot.  Add the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 30-60 seconds, until the chips melt, before stirring together until smooth.  Allow the mixture to cool until slightly thickened but still pourable.  If the mixture is very hot and very thin it will not coat the cake well and you will end up the most of the glaze on the plate instead of the cake. If the glaze gets too cold you can gently reheat it and stir until smooth and pourable again.

12)   Place the cooled cake on a serving dish.  Pour the slightly thickened glaze over the cake as evenly as possible, allowing it to drip over the sides (and center if using a bundt pan) of the cake.  Sprinkle with the chopped nuts right away before the ganache has time to harden and set.  It will take at least a half hour for the chocolate glaze to set.

Cake after glaze was set and a few slices eaten.  Yum!

GLUTEN FREE PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE CHIP POUND CAKE Makes one 10 cup Bundt cake or one 9” x 5” loaf cake GlutenFreeBakingBear.com INDREDIENTS CAKE 1 stick/1/2 cup/4 oz. Unsalted Butter (for Dairy Free use ¼ cup margarine & ¼ cup non hydrogenated shortening) 1 ¼ cup Sugar ¼ cup Oil - light tasting such as sunflower or canola 6 Tbs. Cream Cheese (for Dairy Free use Dairy Free cream cheese) ¼ cup Pistachio Paste (see recipe below or use store bought) ¾ cup Sorghum Flour ½ cup Tapioca Flour ¼ cup Chickpea Flour ¼ cup Coconut Flour ¾ tsp. Xanthan Gum ½ tsp. Salt 1 ½ tsp. Baking Powder ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract ½ tsp. Almond Extract a few drops Green Food Coloring (optional) if you want a green cake for St. Patricks Day. 5 large Eggs ½ cup Chocolate Chips - Semisweet ½ cup Pistachio Nuts - Chopped PISTACHIO PASTE 50 gm Pistachio Nuts - shelled 25 gm Sugar 12 gm Almond Flour 1 ¼ tsp. Water ¼ tsp. Almond Extract GLAZE ¾ cup Chocolate Chips - Semisweet ⅓ cup Heavy Cream 2 Tbs. Pistachio Nuts - Chopped - for Garnish (optional) (For a Dairy Free Glaze use the glaze from my GF Chocolate Cake recipe) DIRECTIONS 1) Preheat the oven to 375℉. Grease a bundt or loaf pan. 2) To make pistachio paste: Place the 50 grams of pistachio nuts & the 25 grams of sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine. Add the almond flour and pulse until combined. Add the water and almond extract and pulse until combined. The mixture will be crumbly, but will hold together when pressed firmly. Add to the recipe where indicated. 3) In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and 1¼ cup sugar. 4) Add the oil, pistachio paste & cream cheese and mix until fluffy. 5) In a separate bowl add the flours, xanthan gum, salt & baking powder and mix well. Add to the butter mixture along with one egg and the vanilla & almond extracts, mix until well combined. 6) Add the rest of the eggs one at a time mixing in well after each egg is added. When done the batter will be smooth and fluffy. 7) Add the ½ cup chips and ½ cup of chopped pistachio nuts and mix into the batter on low speed. 8) Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 9) Bake for 10 minutes at 375℉. Then turn down the oven temperature to 350℉ and bake another 30 - 40 minutes. The cake is done if it springs back when lightly touched with a finger or when a cake tester or wooden toothpick comes out clean. 10) Allow the cake to cool in the pan 5 minutes before carefully running a knife along the edges and inverting the cake onto a rack to cool completely. 11) When the cake is cooled completely make the glaze. Heat the cream in the microwave or stovetop until hot. Add the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 30-60 seconds, until the chips melt, before stirring together until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool until slightly thickened but still pourable. If the mixture is very hot and very thin it will not coat the cake well and you will end up the most of the glaze on the plate instead of the cake. If the glaze gets too cold you can gently reheat it and stir until smooth and pourable again. 12) Place the cooled cake on a serving dish. Pour the slightly thickened glaze over the cake as evenly as possible, allowing it to drip over the sides (and center if using a bundt pan) of the cake. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts right away before the ganache has time to harden and set. It will take at least a half hour for the chocolate glaze to set.

Here is a link to the original wheat based recipe.