Pistachio Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

This Pistachio Cupcake recipe is for buttery cupcakes flavored with real pistachios. The cupcakes are cored out after baking and filled with a raspberry purée before being swirled high with a fluffy cream cheese and pistachio frosting.

Prep Time1 20

Cook Time15

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 371kcal

Author: Cat Spiller

Ingredients

Pistachio Cupcakes

175 g castor sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
175 g unsalted butter
3 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
230 g cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ tsp salt
140 g sour cream
70 g pistachios chopped

Raspberry Filling

280 g raspberries
40 g castor sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pistachio Buttercream

600 g icing sugar
100 g unsalted butter
250 g cream cheese
3 tablespoon pistchio butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
green food colouring optional
raspberries to decorate
crushed pistachios to decorate

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pistachio Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 22 cupcake liners into two 12-hole cupcake pans.
Add the superfine sugar and lemon zest to a small bowl and use the tips of your fingers to massage the lemon zest into the sugar.
Add the butter and lemon sugar mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture one at a time, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between each addition. Add the vanilla and beat again.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Add the sour cream, and flour mixture to the cupcake batter by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the sour cream.
Add the chopped pistachios to the cupcake batter and mix through with a rubber spatula.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Raspberry Filling

In a small saucepan set over medium heat add the fresh raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Allow the fruit to soften and the sugar to melt. Stir occasionally with a spatula and press the fruit against the sides of the saucepan to help them break down if needed.
Once the sugar is melted and the purée has thickened, allow the mashed raspberry purée to cool to room temperature. Add this to a piping bag.

Pistachio Buttercream

Add the icing sugar and softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the cubed cream cheese and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 2 minutes.
Add the pistachio butter and vanilla extract to the frosting and beat again until combined.
Add a tiny drop of green food coloring to the frosting and beat again. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle.
Use a cupcake or apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake, fill the center with the raspberry puree, and then pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake. Decorate with crushed pistachios and fresh raspberries.

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