Description
Delight in these Pistachio Cupcakes featuring a moist, buttery base studded with chopped pistachios, filled with tangy raspberry purée, and topped with creamy pistachio buttercream frosting. Each cupcake is beautifully decorated with crushed pistachios and fresh raspberries, perfect for special occasions or an indulgent treat.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 175 g castor sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 230 g cake flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 140 g sour cream
- 70 g pistachios, chopped
Raspberry Filling
- 280 g raspberries
- 40 g castor sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Pistachio Buttercream
- 600 g icing sugar
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened
- 250 g cream cheese, cubed
- 3 tbsp pistachio butter
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- green food colouring (optional)
For Decoration
- Fresh raspberries
- Crushed pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 22 cupcake liners into two 12-hole cupcake pans to prepare for baking.
- Prepare Lemon Sugar: Combine the superfine sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Use the tips of your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar, releasing the aromatic oils.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the unsalted butter and lemon sugar mixture. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the creamed butter mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition for even mixing. Then beat in the vanilla bean paste.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl to ensure even distribution of leavening.
- Combine Batter: Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately to the wet mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Fold gently using a rubber spatula to maintain airiness.
- Add Pistachios: Fold in the chopped pistachios evenly throughout the cupcake batter.
- Fill and Bake: Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cupcakes are light golden and a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make Raspberry Filling: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook until the fruit softens and sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally and mashing fruit against the pan to break it down. Let thicken and then cool to room temperature before transferring to a piping bag.
- Prepare Pistachio Buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together icing sugar and softened butter at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add Cream Cheese: Add the cubed cream cheese to the mixture and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and mix again for about 2 minutes to combine fully.
- Flavor and Color Frosting: Beat in pistachio butter and vanilla bean paste until fully combined. Add a drop of green food colouring if desired, then beat again to evenly incorporate. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle of your choice.
- Assemble Cupcakes: Use a cupcake corer or apple corer to remove the center of each cooled cupcake. Fill the cavity with raspberry purée from the piping bag.
- Pipe Frosting and Decorate: Pipe a swirl of pistachio buttercream over each cupcake. Garnish with crushed pistachios and a fresh raspberry on top for an elegant finish.
Notes
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before coring and filling to prevent filling from melting.
- Chilling the butter and cream cheese used in the frosting can help achieve a smooth, creamy texture.
- Green food coloring is optional and can be adjusted to your preferred shade.
- This recipe yields 22 cupcakes, perfect for gatherings or special occasions.
- Store cupcakes refrigerated if not consuming immediately due to cream cheese frosting.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
