Rosewater Pistachio Cupcakes

I have fifty sticks of cinnamon to my name. Does that make me cool? In a baker kind of way, that is. I put it next to the television, a reminder that I have to use it sometime.

If it doesn’t make me cool, I also have a handful of cardamom pods. I’m one lucky lady. Recipes call only for the powder form but I got the real deal. Now if only I know how to substitute the pods for the powder. Or is the powder for pods? Now I'm confused. 

If cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods don't up my coolness level, I hope this one does. Want some Rosewater Pistachio Cupcakes?

I got this recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World. A book that's been sitting in my shelf for 3 or so years and never had the chance to try the recipes in it. Perhaps because I'm not sure where to find soy yogurt here in Manila or even non hydrogenated margarine. Maybe I'm just lazy to dust off the cobwebs of the book. So for these babies, I substituted the vegan ingredients for the regular ones.

Rosewater Pistachio Cupcakes (non-vegan version)

Adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World

Makes 22 Cupcakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons rosewater

1 cup plus 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Generous pinch of cardamom

1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios/ lightly toasted if desired

For assembly

1 tablespoon pink sugar

¼ cup chopped pistachios

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pans with 12 cupcake liners
(2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, oil, sugar and rosewater. 

(3) Sift in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom and salt. 

(4) Fold in pistachios. 

(5) Fill liners three quarters of the way. Bake 20-22 minutes. 

(6) Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting

Rosewater Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

4 cups icing sugar

1tsp rosewater

2 tablespoon milk

a drop of soft pink food coloring (optional)

(1) Beat butter until smooth. Add icing sugar gradually for about 3 minutes. Add rosewater and 

milk. Beat for another 5 – 7 minutes until fluffy.

Assembling the cupcakes
(1) Let  the cupcakes cool

(2) Place frosting in a piping bag with a big tip (I used Ateco # 846 Closed Star Tip). Pipe swirls into each cupcake

(3) Sprinkle with pink sugar and pistachios.


Happy Cupcaking, 
Aikko