in 2017 i resolve to...

1. be a tidy human, the kind that is tidy enough for unannounced visitors to swing by for a slice of cake and not be totally horrified.

2. probably not eat as many potato chips as i did in 2016.

actually, i don't think i like this resolution.

3. have 1-2 more hangovers than i did in 2016. i was, like, *pretty* straightedged this year because with the whole book tour and all the traveling and everything i never felt like i had the luxury of proper recovery time from an all-nighter. i mean, i have no regrets. but that's the problem, i think i'm allowed a couple more regrets...?

4. get a hobby. someone asked me the other day what i do besides food and music and my answer was workout but that's not really a hobby so much it is a thing that i do so i don't die or have to buy new clothes. i dunno... i guess i could read more and check instagram less? or get into birding??? i just met some of the town birders and their description of it sounded so cool.

5. do more community things. eggboy and i have just started this and it's been the most fulfilling so i want to do it more. eggboy joined the board of our town co-op and i am starting to work with a new community food truck in town. i'm so excited about it and can't wait to tell you more once i know more.

6. be a great bridesmaid! i'm gonna be one four times this year! i simply cannot wait! it's going to be a year of parties... which i guess will really help with #3!!

ok that's enough resolutions, let's address this pink cake!

unlike the dense fudgey pistachio loaf cake from bklyn larder that fueled my former brooklyn existence (and inspired the pistachio cake in molly on the range), this cake is a fluffy happy layered thing. it has the mouthfeel of your favorite vanilla birthday cake but its flavor is pimped out with pistachio, almond, and pomegranate. one pistachio cake isn't better than the other, it's just different. i think of the bklyn larder loaf as an afternoon snack situation, while this one, in all of its pink buttercreamed glory, calls for a celebration. a new year, perhaps!

fluffy pistachio cake with pomegranate buttercream

makes one 2-layer 8-inch cake

ingredients

1 c roasted unsalted pistachios

1 3/4 c sugar

2 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c vegetable or canola oil

1 tsp almond extract

1 tb vanilla extract

3/4 c water

frosting:

1 1/2 c butter

4 c powdered sugar

big pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 tb whole milk

green and red food coloring (optional)

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

clues

cake:

preheat oven to 350ºf.

grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.

place the pistachios in a food processor and grind them until you have small crumbs. measure out 1/4 cup of the crumbs and set them aside for the filling.

pour the remaining crumbs into a large bowl and whisk in the rest of the dry ingredients. in a medium bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients. whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then pour into the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. begin checking for doneness at 28 minutes.

let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them onto a greased cooling rack.

frosting:

use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk until smooth. measure out 1 cup of the frosting and set it aside for the filling. add a tiny drop of red food coloring (if desired) and the pomegranate juice and beat to combine.

to make the filling, mix a tiny drop of green food coloring (if desired) and the reserved ground pistachios to the reserved 1 cup of frosting.

assembly:

level your cake layers and spread the top of one of them with the pistachio-filled frosting. place the other layer on top, and then frost all over with the remaining frosting.

enjoy!

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-yeh!

pictured: plates // cake stand // cake flags

here is a pumpkin recipe that will do you some good if, for example, you bought twelve too many cans of pumpkin for thanksgiving because despite your husband's questionable track record of pies he still insists on making one every year but with some great luck he nailed it this time thus alleviating your need for backup pumpkin. so now you have all of this pumpkin!

or!

maybe you are on #teamcake but are so humble that you don't want your handsome show-stopping pumpkin cake to overshadow your husband's pie so you are in the market for something smaller and humbler.

or!

you just like donuts.

or!

you want to get started baking now and need something that will freeze and defrost really nicely just in time for the post-turkey bird festivities.

ok i'll shut up now because it's true that you don't ever need a reason to want a soft pumpkiny donut that's topped with artful plops of pumpkin spiced buttercream. and i realize that baked donuts might just be differently shaped cupcakes, but i get so much satisfaction out of popping these little guys out of the pans and seeing the cloudy light get swallowed up through their holes. and how do you make a good cake donut better? top it with good buttercream, of course. if you and i have ever talked buttercream (or if you've read the butter section in molly on the range), you know that i'm an advocate for using the best butter available for it since it's basically just butter and sugar. you *want* the good buttery flavor, and for this i turn to the butter from my new cow friends, kerrygold. it's grass-fed and it's what i use for all of my buttercreams.

so go forth into this thanksgiving week like the pumpkin champion that you are and get donut-ing!

pumpkin donuts with spiced buttercream

makes 18-20 large donuts

ingredients

1 3/4 c flour

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

pinch cardamom

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c oil

1/3 cup water

1 c pumpkin puree

for the buttercream:

1 c kerrygold unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 c powdered sugar

2 tb milk

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch each of nutmeg, cloves, ginger

sprinkles, optional

clues

preheat oven to 375ºf. grease a donut pan and set aside.

in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and cardamom. in a separate bowl, beat together eggs, vanilla, oil, water, and pumpkin. whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until batter is combined.

using a pastry bag, pipe batter into donut pan, filling the cavities halfway. bake donuts until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, begin checking for doneness at 12 minutes. remove from oven and let cool slightly. turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.

note: if you're making these in advance, transfer cooled donuts to a gallon ziploc bag (or wrap a pan of them in plastic wrap) and freeze for up to two weeks. defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours before frosting.

make the buttercream

beat together frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth.

add frosting to piping bag. pipe onto cooled donuts and decorate with sprinkles as desired.

enjoy!

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-yeh!

thank you for kerrygold for sponsoring this post!