Pistachio Trifle

There is a Thai restaurant in Birmingham that I thought I loved, not for their food, but for their pistachio cake.  Last night, after a mediocre meal and a piece of cake that did not live up to my memory, I vowed never to return to this restaurant, but rather to make a pistachio cake of my own.  So I did.  With my own twist...

Now, how to make this layered dream...

What You Need:

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix

2 Boxes Pistachio Pudding

1 1/4 Cup Water

1/3 Cup Oil

3 Eggs

1 Tub Cool Whip

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Chopped Pistachios

Whipped Cream for decoration (optional)

To Start: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a medium mixing bowl, stir cake mix together with one box of unprepared pistachio pudding powder.  Next, follow the directions on the box on how to prepare the cake (the amounts of oil, egg, and water above are what I used for my cake).  Pour the cake batter into two identically round, greased cake pans- half in each.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until a knife, inserted in the center, comes out clean.  Leave to cool.     

Next, go ahead and chop the nuts.  This can be done in a food processor, but I prefer to do it by hand for more coarse, rustic pieces.  In a mixing bowl, combine milk and the other box of pistachio pudding. Add the Cool Whip one third at a time, using a mixer to incorporate the Cool Whip and the milky pudding.  

After the cakes are cool, coerce the cakes from their pans and start layering the trifle.  If the cakes break, that's fine, it will taste the same.  Begin with a bit of the pudding mixture at the bottom of a trifle dish, then place a cake on top of that.  Continue the layering process with half the remaining pudding and a sprinkling of half of the chopped pistachios.  Next, add another layer of cake and the rest of the pudding.

Use a can of whipped cream to add a beautiful peak to the center of the trifle, or if you're feeling extra creative, make your own whipped cream.  Finally, scatter the top with the remaining pistachio pieces.  Keep in the refrigerator until serving.

Enjoy!