Pistachio Cupcakes {Recipe}

Hello everyone! Long time no see huh? Well, I'm not turning this into food blog, just popping in to post this amazing and seriously delicious recipe. Whenever I go to a party which requires me to bring food, I bring these. They never disappoint - always a hit and so easy to make. It's not mine so I can't claim it but I did come up with an awesome version of frosting so enjoy! The original recipe is from The Little Kitchen but I reduced sugar to 1/3 cup and frosting is almost like cheating on baking, it's that easy. Hope you like these!

• CUPCAKES:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3.4 ounce box of instant pistachio pudding

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon avocado oil

• 2 large eggs

• 1 egg white

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 
  

1.   1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
2. 
   
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and box of instant pudding. Whisk or mix together with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add avocado oil and vanilla extract and mix until well blended. While still mixing, add eggs in one at time until completely incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed
5. Add dry ingredients and incorporate with a rubber spatula until most of the dry ingredients are moistened. This step takes seconds and it’s okay if there is unincorporated flour. Add milk and mix with hand mixer or in your stand mixer using the paddle attachment on the lowest speed for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for another 20 to 30 seconds. The cake batter should be smooth, and very thick except for the pistachios from the pudding.
6. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 cup of cake batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean. (If using a 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out cupcakes, bake for about 16 to 18 minutes.) Or you can make mini cupcakes as I did, filling them with a tiny melon scoop, or one teaspoon 
7. This recipe makes 14 regular cupcakes or 32 mini cupcakes.

      FROSTING:   

     

     2.5 cups heavy whipping cream   

     1/2 cup of milk

     1 package of pistachio pudding.

   1. Combine whipping cream and pistachio pudding in a bowl of an electric mixer. Slowly start mixing on the lowest speed to incorporate the pudding. Once it has melted into the whipping cream, increase the speed to the highest and beat until it turns into thick cream. 

   2. Add up to 1/2 cups of milk to loosen up the frosting. You don't have to add the milk but the frosting will be very difficult to pipe.

    3. Cut a tiny hole in a gallon-size Ziplock bag. Place the Wilton 2D tip inside the bag pushing it out so half of it is still inside the bag. Place the bag with tip inside a large glass and transfer the frosting in to it. Gather all the frosting and push it toward the tip so there are no air pockets. Pipe the frosting on to your beautiful cupcakes in a circular motion, starting with the outer layer and going up. 

If you want to see how it works, HERE is a great video on how to pipe different types of techniques with one tip.

Enjoy your cupcakes and if you make them, tag me so I can see! 

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