A day on which Becky Homecky takes over

     Last week, I made a pistachio cake for Mac to take into work on his last day.   Two days later, I made one for his birthday.  I mentioned one of these cakes on this blog, and I had a number of people ask me about it.  So even though I should be the last person to share a recipe, I'm going to give in and be all domestic like and do just that.
     The humor is not lost on my that when EVERYONE seems to be getting into cupcakes, heck there are even TV shows about cupcake makers, I'm making bundt cakes. I am so far from hip in the culinary world, or any other, I'm almost retro.  Bundts, are they so 70s?
    Back story first though, whenever I bring a bundt cake to school for treat day or similar, one fellow teacher there always says, "You made this?  YOU?"  Apparently she fashions herself as a gourmet, but she can't get a bundt out of a pan intact.  Hm.  Here are my secrets:  This cookbook, this pan and this spray.

    The book is well used, grease and batter stained and bookmarked (which is funny because my Salads cookbook is pristine.)  The pan was a purchase in my aspiring Becky Homecky days.  I actually had a hope chest--well, in collection form not a Lane chest (those of you under 40 go ahead and ask your mom what a hope chest is)--and this was in it.  I bought it at Venture, remember them?  They were Target before Target came to town.  The spray I bought on a fluke, actually the Baker's Joy version, much more recently and it is much easier to use than the old school grease and flour method.  Each time my cake comes out, I'm quietly gleeful.
     You don't have to scrutinize the picture of the pan to see it's gotten a lot of use, but so far no one has ever complained of finding Teflon peel in her piece of bundt cake.  (Exhalation of relief...)
     To continue, here (plus H20) are the ingredients:

Mix:

One yellow cake mix (seriously, whatever is on sale)

One cup water

1/3 cup oil

Three large eggs

One small box of pistachio instant pudding

and...

this is the fun part...

One cup of club soda.

This ingredient affords the baker two cheap thrills.  Opening the bottle without it fizzing all over and pouring the cup into the mixing bowl and watching the pudding mix foam.  

You may also stir in crushed a half cup of crushed white pistachios or pecans, but I find the cake has a nutty taste even without them.

Pour into prepared bundt pan, bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Cool for ten minutes, invert onto plate:

Sigh with relief REQUIRED.

Allow to cool thoroughly.

Sprinkle with confectioner's/powdered sugar:

And you've got yourself a nutty, moist cake.
(I just received a Jiffy brand cookbook in the mail. In it is a filled lemon bundt cake recipe. That's next...)