Flavour-packed, melt-in-your-mouth Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes, drizzled with orange caramel and topped with candied pistachio.
I am in love with these Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes. Not only are they pretty in all their mini heritage bundtliness, but the flavour combo is hella fine!
It's reminiscent of a gelato flavour I had while on vacation some years ago. The memory of the taste has remained with me and I finally got around to replicating that gelato over the summer. Ice cream out of the way, I thought I would try it in cake form!
Pistachio is one of my absolute favourite nuts! Some might say it's the pink/red and green colour combo - see site branding :). Or, it may be that they share bloodlines with cashew, which is another fave. I think it's that drab, tough-to-crack shell that gives way to a colourful, rich, nutty jewel - you know, like an oyster and pearl - the old it's what's on the inside adage.
These Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes are flavour-packed with freshly ground pistachios, marcona almonds, buckwheat flour, browned butter, demerara sugar and citrus zest. The fresh orange and cointreau soaking syrup provides just the right amount of sweetness (read: booziness) and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
I tend to incorporate ancient grains in pancakes, scones, waffles etc, and have started to experiment with them more in cookies, cakes and pastries. I have chocolate chunk cookies made with tigernuts from about four years ago. I shared them on IG and no one seemed to know what the hell I was talking about, so I shelved them. The flour was hard to find and I didn't want to post something for which folks could not find the main ingredient. They were really good, so I may pull them out of the vault now that I see you can get tigernut flour on Amazon.
All the ingredients in these Pistachio Orange Caramel Mini Bundt Cakes are fairly accessible. Better, you can make your own nut flours, like I've done here. I typically use a coffee grinder for small quantities and a food processor for larger quantities.
I've been playing with fruit and vegetable caramels for bonbons and thought I'd use them with a few desserts, like this more recently.
I made an orange caramel to complement the orange flavour in the cakes and although the cakes will do just fine without it... WHY? 😉 If you want to skip making the caramel, use a little of the soaking syrup to drizzle on the cakes, instead.
Top with a mix of roasted and crystallized pistachios for a little crunch and bling and serve them up!
Sweet Tips for Success:
- I've heard from a few of you that your cakes don't come out clean from your Bundt pans. You can find my tips for perfect release here.
- The almonds and pistachios are the stars of this recipe, so ensure that they are fresh and of good quality. I used Marcona almonds - they are a gourmet almond from Spain and pictured in the above shots. They are rounder in shape, a little sweeter, softer and less dry. Their aroma reminds me of almond extract my grandmother used in her baking when we were kids. An old colleague turned me on to a specialty Middle Eastern shop, where I get my pistachios. I keep my nuts in large air-tight mason jars in a cool dry area of my home.
- In instances where I am using the zest, my preference is organic citrus fruits for obvious reasons.
- The nut meals in the recipe are also referred to as flour. I find it best to make your own using a clean coffee grinder for small quantities, or a food processor or blender for larger quantities.
I use a coffee grinder reserved for making my own nut meal (and fruit powders). This way I get the meal texture I want - coarse for cakes like this and fine in the case of macarons, for instance. - You can omit the caramel (I'll just pretend I don't know you...), but don't forego the syrup - it's what helps give and maintain the cake's melt-in-your-mouth texture and sweetness.
- I used buckwheat flour, which, despite it's name, is not a grain, nor is it related to wheat, but rhubarb and sorrel and is high in essential nutrients and resistant fibre. For those with gluten sensitivities, buckwheat is gluten-free. I used it for its nutty, earthy flavour.
- Because buckwheat won't rise like a regular flour, I filled my molds almost to the the edge. They baked up with a perfectly uniformed, flat base.
What's your favourite nut, or nut-based dessert?
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 250 grams browned butter liquid
- 200 grams demerara sugar
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 120 grams almond meal
- 100 grams pistachio meal
- 50 grams buckwheat flour or 50/50 buckwheat and all-purpose or gluten-free flour blend
- 4 grams baking powder
- zest of 1 large organic orange
For the syrup:
- 60 grams demerara
- juice of 1-2 large oranges
- cointreau or triple sec to taste optional
For the caramel:
- 100 grams demerara sugar
- 80 grams freshly squeezed orange juice I used cara cara oranges
- 20 grams glucose or corn syrup
- 30 grams unsalted butter
- 275 grams 35% heavy cream
- orange extract to taste
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease holds and set on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the almond, pistachio, buckwheat flour and baking powder and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium until well combined.
- While the mixer is running on low, add the eggs slowly and mix until fully incorporated.
- Change the mixer setting to stir and add the nuts and flour mixture.
- Remove bowl from the stand and use a spatula to fold in the zest.
- Pipe or scoop the batter into the molds, filling each close to the top edge.
- Bake for 30—35 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Make the syrup:
- Add the sugar and orange juice to a small saucepan and heat to melt the sugar. Pour over the cakes, while still warm.
To make caramel:
- Heat the cream and set aside.
- To a deep pot, add the juice, glucose and the sugar and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar has melted. Continue to cook to a medium golden colour.
- Add the warmed cream slowly to deglaze. It will bubble up, so a deep pot comes in handy. Remove from heat and stir in the butter immediately. Allow to cool a little before the orange extract.
- When cooled, drizzle onto cakes and top with a mix of caramelized and roasted pistachios.
Nadja | Nashi Food says
These mini bundt cakes look so cute! I love the idea of adding the orange caramel and the candied pistachios. I can image they are really tasty. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
They were great and not very sweet at all, so the added caramel works great!
Marie says
The pictures make me drool! It looks so fluffy and tender. The combination of orange, pistachio, and caramel sounds so wonderful too. So much flavour. 🙂
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
Thanks, Marie! Very flavourful, without being overly sweet!
Jane says
Oh blimey, they look INCREDIBLE!!! |Must try this recipe...
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
Thanks!
Patty says
How I love these mini Bundt Cakes, pistachio orange caramel is an awesome combo, one of my favorites! Must try your recipe 🙂
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
Bundt pans make everything look pretty, don't you think!! Hope you give them a try!
Agata says
Beautiful presentation, just beautiful! Totally adore the flavours combo so will be trying them for sure as soon as I buy a mini bundt baking form.
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
Everyone need at least one Bundt pan! 😉 In the absence of one, a muffin tin would work just as well!
malby says
Great recipe! Want to make it for new year's eve! but for a 10 cup bundt pan, do I have to double the amounts ?
thanks in advance!
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
Thanks for your note. I have not tried it in a large pan, but I would suggest going 50/50 all-purpose flour and buckwheat. Buckwheat has a really intense taste that doesn't always sit well with everyone and the AP flour will help with texture and rise. I plan to test it in a larger pan soon, as well, so we can compare notes.