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Pistachio Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting
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5 from 1 vote

Pistachio Cupcakes

Bright and cheerful, with a light, sweet, nutty crumb. These Pistachio Cupcakes come adorned with a rich & creamy, only just sweet topping. The fanciest of cupcakes is yours for the taking.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Baking, Cake
Cuisine: Worldwide
Servings: 12
Calories: 385kcal

Ingredients

  • 100g/ 3 ½oz caster sugar
  • 100g/ 3 ½oz butter - softened
  • 100g/ 3 ½oz plain (all purpose) flour
  • 1 tsp (level) baking powder
  • 60g/ 2oz ground pistachio nuts
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • green gel food colouring (optional)

For the topping

  • 250g/ 9oz Mascarpone Cheese
  • 400ml double cream (heavy)
  • 3 tbsp Icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

To Garnish

  • Chopped/ ground pistachio nuts
  • 12 fresh cherries (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 325°F/ GM3 and line a 12-cup cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners
  • Sieve the flour and baking powder into a small bowl. Add the ground pistachio nuts and stir briefly to combine
  • In a large bowl beat the sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
  • Beat in the milk and a little green colouring (if using) with a spoonful of the flour mixture
  • Mix in the remaining flour mix
  • Divide between 12 baking cases
  • Bake for 17-20 minutes until well risen and a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean
  • Allow to cool completely

Make the topping

  • Beat the mascarpone cheese until smooth
  • Add the double cream, vanilla extract and the icing sugar and beat again until the icing holds a firm, but gentle peak
  • Spoon into a piping bag and pipe the cream onto the cupcakes using a 1 cm star nozzle
  • Scatter a few chopped pistachios on top and garnish with a cherry

Notes

I used a coffee grinder to grind my pistachios. If your food processor has a small bowl attachment, this would work well too. Grind in short bursts until medium fine - a little bit of texture is good. Don't overwork the nuts else they will end up moist and clumpy rather than fine and dry.
I recommend decorating these cupcakes just before serving since the icing contain so much cream and Mascarpone cheese. Once iced, any leftovers can be stored in the fridge - just bring out 30-45 minutes before serving to take the chill off the sponge cake
Un-iced cakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1048IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg