Pistachio Cake

Another staff meeting, another wonderful lunch. Last month I posted about the lunches we have at our monthly staff meetings. It's something that we started years ago with soup during the cold winter months and over the years has expanded to every month on the day of our staff meeting.

This month to celebrate Spring, we chose to have salads as our theme. Some were sweet and some were savory and all of them were wonderful! I tried to sneak in a take a picture of the spread before it was completely devoured! Luckily, those who were still in line, stepped aside (but just barely) to let me snap one quick picture. Starting at the bottom of the picture we have taco salad in the red bowl, tuna salad to the left of the taco salad with potato salad just above it followed by hot sauce, chips and cheese sauce (for the taco salad). Just above the chips is Wurst salad with a basket of fresh bread just above it (if you look to the upper left of the cheese sauce there is a tub of fresh Amish butter for the bread). To the left of the bread is a fresh mozzarella a tomato salad. To the left above that is a tossed salad with balsamic dressing and to that right is jello salad and finally at the top of the table on the left is a fruit salad and to the right is a pear-pecan salad. Yes, we eat well at these meetings....very well.

We stopped midway for a quick break which is when I cut the cake. It went quickly. Some folks even went back for seconds. Jim was lucky that I was able to save him a bite.
I'll try to get as many of the recipes for the salads as I can then post them. The Pistachio cake was found in the March Issue of Family Circle. I first saw it while visiting family in Tennessee last month but didn't write it down. Thankfully mom still had it and sent the recipe via e-mail. Here it is:

PISTACHIO CAKE

Cake:
1 box (18.25 ounces) White Cake Mix
1 Package (3.4 ounces) instant Pistachio Pudding Mix
3 Eggs
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 can (12 ounces) Lemon/Lime Soda (such as 7 Up)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9"round cake pans with non stick cooking spray.
Line bottoms with parchment paper and spray again.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, vegetable oil and soda on medium-high for 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl after 2 minutes.
Equally divide batter between prepared cake pans. Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool layers in pans for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Turn layers out on to rack and cool completely.

Frosting
1 Package (3.4 ounces) Instant Pistachio Pudding mix
1 1/2 cups Milk
1 Container ( 8 ounces) Frozen Whipped Topping thawed
1/2 Cup Pistachio Nuts Chopped for Garnish

In a large bowl, beat pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Fold in whipped topping.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and frost top with 1 cup of frosting. Place remaining layer on top and frost top and sides. Garnish with chopped nuts. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Store in refrigerator. 16 Servings