Here is a different kind of flavour combination for people who want a change to the standard cupcake flavours. These Rose and Pistachio Cupcakes have a very Middle-Eastern influence, the cupcakes contain ground pistachios which adds such a nice flavour, which is complement by the addition of a bit of rose water in the cupcake batter too. To decorate these cupcakes I decided to use Rose Buttercream, it tasted just like Turkish Delight! Finally to decorate I used a little bit of ground pistachio and some dried rose petals too! This recipe will make around 18 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
Rose and Pistachio Cupcakes:
225g Soften Butter/Baking Spread
225g Caster Sugar
4 x Eggs
200g Self Raising Flour
100g Ground Pistachios
1 Tsp Baking Powder
2 Tsp Rose Water
Rose Buttercream:
180g Soften Butter
600g Icing Sugar
4 Tsp Rose Water
50ml Milk
Pink Food Colouring (Gel Based)
Decoration:
Ground Pistachio
1. Turn your oven on to 80C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Place your whole pistachio into a baking tray and roast for 10-12 minutes. Roasting your pistachios will add so much extra flavour into your cupcakes. Once roasted leave the pistachios to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Place the cooled roasted pistachios into a food processor and blitz until you get a rough ground consistency. Be careful not to blitz the nuts too much other you will end up with a pistachio paste!
3. In a large mixing bowl add the softened butter/baking spread, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, ground pistachios (save some for the decoration), and rose water. Mix the ingredients until they are all evenly mixed together.
4. Evenly divide the Rose and Pistachio Cupcake mix into cupcake cases. I like to use an ice cream scoop as this helps to make sure there is an even amount of mixture in each cupcake case.
5. Bake the Rose and Pistachio for 13-15 minutes, they should be a nice golden brown colour once baked.
6. Once the cupcakes have baked, place them on a wire rack to cool. While the cupcakes are cooling make the Rose Buttercream by adding the softened butter and icing sugar into a large mixing. Mix the ingredients until they are combined together.
7. Add the rose water slowly to taste, the rose water is a powerful flavouring so slowly add a teaspoon at a time until you get a flavour you like. In addition to that slowly add the milk until you get a smooth and spreadable consistency.
8. Finally add the pink food colouring until you get the shade of pink you like. Make sure you give the buttercream a good mix so the food colouring gel is fully mixed in.
9. Transfer the Rose Buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2M Piping Tip.
10. Once the cupcakes have cooled, pipe roses onto the cupcakes.
11. To decorate, sprinkle over some of the ground pistachios over the cupcakes ( I find it easier to sprinkle the pistachios from a height).
12. Finally sprinkle over small pieces of dried rose petals over the top of the cupcakes.
