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Pistachio Cupcakes with Pistachio Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 206 reviews

These Pistachio Cupcakes are a delightful treat featuring moist, fluffy cupcakes infused with the nutty flavor of pistachios, topped with a rich pistachio buttercream frosting. Perfect for special occasions or a gourmet everyday dessert, they combine the subtle almond and vanilla extracts with crunchy pistachio crumbs and creamy frosting for a truly indulgent experience.

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcakes

  • ¾ cup (90g) raw pistachios
  • 1 ¼ cups (163g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup (155g) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150ml) milk

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup (120g) raw pistachios
  • 1 tablespoon water (optional)
  • ½ cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
  • 4–6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

  1. Make the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners to prepare for baking.
  2. Grind the pistachios: Place ¾ cup raw pistachios in a food processor and process until finely ground with no large chunks remaining.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the ground pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  4. Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature unsalted butter, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract together until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add eggs: Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl sides for even mixing.
  6. Incorporate dry ingredients: Add half of the dry mixture to the batter and mix until just combined.
  7. Add milk: Slowly add the milk, mixing until fully incorporated; don’t worry if the batter looks slightly curdled.
  8. Add remaining dry ingredients: Mix in the rest of the dry ingredients until the batter is smooth and well combined, being careful not to overmix.
  9. Fill cupcake liners: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full (approximately 55g).
  10. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  11. Cool: Remove cupcakes from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
  12. Prepare pistachio paste: Process 1 cup raw pistachios in a food processor. Initially, it will become crumbs, then moist crumbs. Add 1 tablespoon water if necessary, and continue processing until a smooth, oily paste forms. This may take about 5 minutes. Add a little more water only if needed, avoiding excess.
  13. Make buttercream: Combine the pistachio paste with ½ cup room temperature unsalted butter in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and well blended.
  14. Add powdered sugar: Add half of the powdered sugar to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
  15. Add cream and flavor: Mix in 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream and ¼ teaspoon almond extract until smooth.
  16. Add remaining powdered sugar: Add the remaining powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Add additional heavy cream as needed to achieve piping consistency.
  17. Frost cupcakes: Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 808 tip and pipe swirls onto the cooled cupcakes. Optionally, decorate with extra pistachio crumbs.
  18. Store: Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours, then refrigerate. Best served at room temperature within 2-3 days.

Notes

  • Using raw pistachios for the paste yields a better texture but may take longer to process.
  • Be careful when adding water to the pistachio paste; use only enough to help it form a smooth paste.
  • Do not overmix the cupcake batter to keep the cupcakes tender.
  • Store cupcakes in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
  • Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.

Keywords: pistachio cupcakes, pistachio buttercream, nutty cupcakes, pistachio frosting, baked cupcakes, nut flavored cupcakes, almond extract cupcakes

Find it online: https://kitchenbyclara.com/pistachio-cupcakes-with-pistachio-buttercream-frosting-recipe/