St Paddy's Day Pistachio Cake

I can't be the only person who, while trying a new recipe, has 14 tabs open in Google Chrome, tries to substitute everything for anything, yells to ask my husband if he thinks if I leave this out, add that, and then sub an entire different recipe in for an ingredient if it'll work (like he knows what he's talking about!).

Oh, I am?

Well that's what went down Friday night.  I asked what he wanted, and Sean requested pistachio cake for St Paddy's Day.  I knew I had a recipe one of his co-workers gave me 4 years ago at my bridal shower.  (side note: FOUR YEARS?!?! Holy crap.)  Of course I didn't check the recipe before I went food shopping (why would anyone do something like that?).

I knew it had pistachio pudding mix.  I assumed it would have flour and sugar, maybe some milk.  And pistachios, OB-vee.

Yeah.  Notsomuch.  A BOXED CAKE MIX.  Some "recipe"!

So off to google I go to find another pistachio cake recipe.  Sour cream? Nope.  Mix for 90 seconds exactly while jumping up and down, then add eggs at the same time as flour?  Sounds like a mess. Nope.

Well, at least I had the pudding mix.  I can find a yellow cake mix recipe....right?  Dry milk powder?

No dry milk powder.  DAMNNIT.

This is where I start yelling to my cooking-illiterate husband about substitutions.  This cake is happening tonight.  I'm desperate.  I throw some stuff together and hope for the best...

And THE BEST it is.  I am NOT a fan of pistachios, and I wanted to lick the entire bowl before I even put the cake in the oven.  That miiiiiiiiight have something to do with 2 cups of sugar, but we won't talk about that right now.

St Paddy's Day Pistachio Cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 package (3.4 oz) instant pistachio pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup fresca (or club soda)
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/2-1 cup shelled, roasted pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and pudding mix until combined.  Add eggs, soda, and olive oil, and mix on low until incorporated, then on medium for 1-2 minutes to combine.

Pour into a oiled/floured large bundt pan, or 9x11 dish, and bake for 40-50 min until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool and transfer to plate.  Serve with optional glaze (below), or ganache, or powdered sugar!

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp butter, softened
2-3 tbsp milk

Combine glaze ingredients in small bowl, adding milk to reach desired consistency.  Drizzle over cake.  Top with more pistachios, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc, etc.

Pretty green inside.  (Terrible photo...I kind of killed the cake when I tried to cut it!)

I need to get this cake out of my house!  Any takers?