Pistachio Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

These pistachio cupcakes with strawberry buttercream are a go-to after I need one thing somewhat totally different from the same old cupcake flavors. They’re all the time a crowd-pleaser! Many readers have even used this similar batter to make a 6-inch cake, too. The buttery pistachios mix fantastically with hints of vanilla and almond, all wrapped up in a smooth and fluffy cake crumb.

I initially printed this recipe in 2017 and have since added new images and extra success suggestions.

One reader, Katie, commented: “The strawberry/pistachio mixture is good. I’ve made these two years in a row for my husband’s birthday and they’re our favourite cupcakes ★★★★★”

Pistachio is an underrated taste within the dessert world. The nuts are definitely scrumptious cracked open and eaten on their very own, however even higher once they shine as the principle taste in ice cream. Or pistachio cake, or pistachio cookies! Or, better of all, cupcakes.

By the best way, do you know that pistachio ice cream is normally flavored with almond extract? It enhances the pistachio taste.

Inform Me About These Pistachio Cupcakes

• Taste: The pistachio taste isn’t tremendous robust and that’s as a result of we’re counting on the precise nuts and never synthetic pistachio taste. You’ll be able to definitely add synthetic taste if you happen to’d like, however I really like the sunshine pistachio, scrumptious almond, and powerful vanilla taste stability within the recipe as written under. Add the depth of the true strawberry taste and your tastebuds will definitely thanks!
• Texture: I used my vanilla cupcakes as the start line for this recipe, and if you happen to’ve ever tried these earlier than, you already know at the moment’s pistachio-flavored model will style additional buttery and smooth. You’ll add floor pistachios to the batter, however don’t get nervous about that texture—the tiny pistachio items style creamy and chewy within the cupcake when baked.
• Ease: This can be a fundamental cupcake recipe—whisk dry components; beat sugar, butter, egg whites, and extracts. The additional step right here will probably be processing the pistachio nuts, which takes a number of seconds. Similar applies to the frosting, the place you’ll pulse the freeze-dried strawberries first.

Selecting the Proper Components

• Pistachios: We’ll grind shelled (out of shell), unsalted pistachios into superb little crumbs and pour these into the dry components. That is how we begin pistachio cookies, too. After grinding, you’re in search of a powdery consistency with a number of small chunks.
• Cake Flour: Cake flour helps promise an additional smooth and cake-like crumb. I exploit it in plenty of cake recipes as a result of it retains every little thing mild and ethereal. Should you can’t discover it, use this simple cake flour substitute. 
• Egg Whites + Bitter Cream: These two energy components, together with cake flour, attribute to the cupcake’s mild and fluffy texture. Egg yolks weigh the crumb down, so that you’ll use solely the egg whites. And bitter cream provides pure moisture, which is vital in a batter with a lot of powdery nuts. I promise you’ve by no means tasted a cupcake like this.

Can I Use Salted Pistachios? Sure, salted pistachios are completely superb and can add a beautiful candy/salty taste. Roasted pistachios work as effectively, however these are normally browner than uncooked pistachios, which can have an effect on the colour of the batter.

Grind the pistachios right down to a crumbly powder, like this:

They’ll flip the cupcake batter a beautiful shade of muted inexperienced.

Do I Add Meals Coloring?

You don’t should. The pictured cupcake batter didn’t embody inexperienced meals coloring, which is why it’s a bit yellow. In order for you a extra vibrant shade of inexperienced, add a small drop of inexperienced gel meals coloring.

Fill the cupcake liners solely 2/3 of the best way full, to forestall the cupcakes from spilling over the perimeters. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

I knew this strawberry frosting can be excellent for these pistachio cupcakes since you want a meals processor for the nuts anyway. The rationale we’ll use freeze-dried strawberries on this strawberry frosting is as a result of they ship essentially the most intense (and pure) strawberry taste whereas, on the similar time, do not alter the feel of the particular frosting. Actual strawberries can find yourself curdling your fairly frosting.

The place to purchase freeze-dried strawberries? I all the time discover them at main grocery shops within the dried fruit part or you may strive Goal, Dealer Joe’s, or on-line right here or right here.

I embellished the cupcakes with a tall swirl utilizing Ateco #849 piping tip. Should you’re new to cupcake adorning, right here’s my piping suggestions tutorial with a video tutorial and many visuals.

You’ll be able to as an alternative, after all, unfold it on with an icing spatula or knife. Scrumptious any which approach you prime them with this colourful frosting!

Thrilling Cupcake Flavors

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Description

These mild and fluffy pistachio cupcakes topped with creamy strawberry frosting are bursting with candy, nutty, and recent taste in each chunk! See recipe Notes for recommendations on the most effective pistachios to make use of, and the best way to flip the batter right into a 6-inch cake.

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Cupcakes

Strawberry Buttercream

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1. Pulse the pistachios in a meals processor till floor into superb crumbs. See picture above for a visible. Put aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 3 liners—this recipe makes about 15 cupcakes. Put aside.
3. Make the cupcakes: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and three/4 cup of pistachio crumbs collectively. Reserve the remainder of the pistachio crumbs for garnish.
4. Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar collectively on excessive pace till easy and creamy, about 3 minutes. Cease and scrape down the perimeters and backside of the bowl with a silicone spatula as wanted. Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high pace till mixed, then beat within the bitter cream. Scrape down the perimeters and backside of the bowl as wanted. Add the dry components after which, with the mixer operating on low pace, slowly pour within the milk (and the meals coloring, if utilizing). Beat till simply mixed—don’t over-mix. It’s possible you’ll must whisk all of it by hand to verify there are not any lumps on the backside of the bowl. The batter will probably be barely thick.
5. Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling solely 2/3 full to keep away from spilling over the perimeters.
6. Bake for 19–22 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear. For about 36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, similar oven temperature. Enable the cupcakes to chill utterly earlier than frosting.
7. Make the frosting: Utilizing a blender or meals processor, course of the freeze-dried strawberries right into a powdery crumb. It’s best to have about 1/2 cup. In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high pace till creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, cream, and vanilla. Beat on low pace for 30 seconds, then enhance to excessive pace and beat for two minutes. Style. Add a pinch of salt if desired.
8. Frost cooled cupcakes and enhance with remaining pistachio crumbs (and strawberry slices, if desired). I used the Ateco #849 piping tip.
9. Cowl leftover cupcakes tightly and retailer within the fridge for as much as 3 days. I like to recommend a cupcake provider for storing and transporting embellished cupcakes.

Notes

1. Make Forward Directions: Cupcakes will be made 1 day prematurely, lined, and saved at room temperature. Frosting will also be made 1 day prematurely, lined, and saved within the fridge till prepared to make use of. Unfrosted cupcakes will be frozen for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then make the frosting and enhance.
2. Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Meals Processor | 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Freeze-Dried Strawberries (like these or these) | Piping Baggage (Disposable or Reusable) | Ateco #849 Piping Tip | Cupcake Provider (for storage)
3. Cake Flour: Should you can’t discover cake flour, you may make this do-it-yourself cake flour substitute. I counsel doing this twice, mixing all of it up in 1 bowl, after which eradicating 1/4 cup because you want 1 and three/4 cups on this recipe.
4. Entire Milk & Bitter Cream: Entire milk and bitter cream are strongly beneficial for the most effective style and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work as an alternative, although the cupcakes is probably not as mild. Similar goes with a lower-fat milk. Nondairy milk works in a pinch. You’ll be able to exchange each the entire milk and bitter cream with buttermilk (1 cup; 240ml) if wanted.
5. Quantity of Batter: This recipe yields between 3–4 cups of batter, which is useful if you happen to’re reviewing the Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions web page.
6. Leftover Egg Yolks? I’ve some recipe concepts for you!
7. Meals Coloring: The pictured cupcake batter didn’t embody inexperienced meals coloring, which is why it’s a bit yellow. In order for you a extra vibrant shade of inexperienced, add a small drop of inexperienced gel meals coloring.
8. Pistachio Cake: Right here is my pistachio cake recipe. For a smaller 6-inch cake, use the identical batter as these cupcakes and observe my directions for a 6-inch cake.
9. Be sure you take a look at my 10 suggestions for baking the BEST cupcakes earlier than you start.