Pistachio Honey Comb Cake

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Pistachio Honey-Comb Cake

Yield: 8

Author: Sarah Truesdell

Ingredients

For the Cake

• ⅔ cup shelled pistachios
• 270g (2 cups plus 2 1/2 tbsp) cake flour, sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ⅔ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 11 tbsp unsalted butter
• 233 g  (2 cups plus 2 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 ounces whole egg (about 2/3 of one large egg)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 2 egg whites
• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar

For the buttercream

• 5 egg yolks
• 84 g honey (clover preferred)
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter

For the decorations

• 1 pound white chocolate wafers or candy melts
• Yellow food coloring

Instructions

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
2. Grind pistachios in a food processor or blender into a fine powder.
3. Sift together cake flour, pistachio flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add whole egg (it is part of a whole egg) and vanilla and beat until combined.
5. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients until just blended. Pour in 1/2 of the milk and beat until incorporated.  Beat in 1/2 of remaining dry ingredients followed by remaining mix and then remaining dry ingredients. Take care not to over-mix.
6. In a separate mixing bowl whip egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks (or transfer batter to another container, clean mixer bowl well and use stand mixer with whisk attachment to beat egg whites.
7. Fold egg whites into batter until completely incorporated.  No streaks of egg whites should remain.
8. Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool for ten minutes in the pan then remove to cool to room temperature.

Make the frosting

1. Grease a heat proof liquid measuring cup. 
2. Place 85 grams of egg yolks (from about 4 1/2 egg yolks) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat yolks until pale yellow.
3. In a small saucepan, heat honey to a rolling boil.  As soon as the honey has large bubbles all over, transfer to the measuring cup, scraping the saucepan with a rubber spatula.
4. With mixer on low, carefully pour the hot honey into the egg yolks down the side of the bowl.  Do not aim directly for the eggs to avoid cooking them.  Beat on medium high until cooled.
5. Beat in cool but softened butter, one tablespoon at a time, until completely incorporated.  Buttercream will be dense and smooth. 

Assembly

1. Fill and crumb coat cake.  Chill thoroughly.  Once cake is cold, lay out a 18 inch long strip of bubble wrap.  Melt candy melts into a microwave safe bowl, stirring well every 20 seconds.  Color yellow if desired.
2. Pour carefully over the bubble wrap (bubble side up). Spread into a thin, even layer.  Let chocolate sit for a few minutes to partially set.  The chocolate/candy melts should not be drippy, but still flexible. (If you accidentally all to harden, you can use a hair dryer to resoften, or scrape back into the bowl to remelt.)
3. Carefully pick up bubble wrap and wrap around the cake.  Arrange and smooth out.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove from fridge and carefully peel off plastic.  Break top edges as desired to look like broken honey comb.

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