Pistachio Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

These pistachio cupcakes with strawberry buttercream are a go-to when I want something a little different from the usual cupcake flavors. They’re always a crowd-pleaser! Many readers have even used this same batter to make a 6-inch cake, too. The buttery pistachios blend beautifully with hints of vanilla and almond, all wrapped up in a soft and fluffy cake crumb.

I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and more success tips.

One reader, Katie, commented: “The strawberry/pistachio combination is brilliant. I’ve made these two years in a row for my husband’s birthday and they are our favorite cupcakes ★★★★★”

Pistachio is an underrated flavor in the dessert world. The nuts are certainly delicious cracked open and eaten on their own, but even better when they shine as the main flavor in ice cream. Or pistachio cake, or pistachio cookies! Or, best of all, cupcakes.

By the way, did you know that pistachio ice cream is usually flavored with almond extract? It complements the pistachio flavor.

Tell Me About These Pistachio Cupcakes

• Flavor: The pistachio flavor isn’t super strong and that’s because we’re relying on the actual nuts and not artificial pistachio flavor. You can certainly add artificial flavor if you’d like, but I love the light pistachio, delicious almond, and strong vanilla flavor balance in the recipe as written below. Add the intensity of the real strawberry flavor and your tastebuds will certainly thank you!
• Texture: I used my vanilla cupcakes as the starting point for this recipe, and if you’ve ever tried those before, you know today’s pistachio-flavored version will taste extra buttery and soft. You’ll add ground pistachios to the batter, but don’t get nervous about that texture—the tiny pistachio pieces taste creamy and chewy in the cupcake when baked.
• Ease: This is a basic cupcake recipe—whisk dry ingredients; beat sugar, butter, egg whites, and extracts. The extra step here will be processing the pistachio nuts, which takes a few seconds. Same applies to the frosting, where you’ll pulse the freeze-dried strawberries first.

Choosing the Right Ingredients

• Pistachios: We’ll grind shelled (out of shell), unsalted pistachios into fine little crumbs and pour those into the dry ingredients. This is how we start pistachio cookies, too. After grinding, you’re looking for a powdery consistency with a few small chunks.
• Cake Flour: Cake flour helps promise an extra soft and cake-like crumb. I use it in a lot of cake recipes because it keeps everything light and airy. If you can’t find it, use this easy cake flour substitute. 
• Egg Whites + Sour Cream: These two power ingredients, along with cake flour, attribute to the cupcake’s light and fluffy texture. Egg yolks weigh the crumb down, so you’ll use only the egg whites. And sour cream adds pure moisture, which is key in a batter with lots of powdery nuts. I promise you’ve never tasted a cupcake like this.

Can I Use Salted Pistachios? Yes, salted pistachios are perfectly fine and will add a lovely sweet/salty flavor. Roasted pistachios work as well, but those are usually browner than raw pistachios, which will affect the color of the batter.

Grind the pistachios down to a crumbly powder, like this:

They’ll turn the cupcake batter a lovely shade of muted green.

Do I Add Food Coloring?

You don’t have to. The pictured cupcake batter did not include green food coloring, which is why it’s a bit yellow. If you want a more vibrant shade of green, add a small drop of green gel food coloring.

Fill the cupcake liners only 2/3 of the way full, to prevent the cupcakes from spilling over the sides. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

I knew this strawberry frosting would be perfect for these pistachio cupcakes because you need a food processor for the nuts anyway. The reason we’ll use freeze-dried strawberries in this strawberry frosting is because they deliver the most intense (and natural) strawberry flavor while, at the same time, do not alter the texture of the actual frosting. Real strawberries can end up curdling your pretty frosting.

Where to buy freeze-dried strawberries? I always find them at major grocery stores in the dried fruit section or you can try Target, Trader Joe’s, or online here or here.

I decorated the cupcakes with a tall swirl using Ateco #849 piping tip. If you’re new to cupcake decorating, here’s my piping tips tutorial with a video tutorial and lots of visuals.

You can instead, of course, spread it on with an icing spatula or knife. Delicious any which way you top them with this colorful frosting!

Exciting Cupcake Flavors

Print

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Description

These light and fluffy pistachio cupcakes topped with creamy strawberry frosting are bursting with sweet, nutty, and fresh flavor in every bite! See recipe Notes for tips on the best pistachios to use, and how to turn the batter into a 6-inch cake.

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Cupcakes

Strawberry Buttercream

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1. Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until ground into fine crumbs. See photo above for a visual. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 3 liners—this recipe makes about 15 cupcakes. Set aside.
3. Make the cupcakes: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 cup of pistachio crumbs together. Reserve the rest of the pistachio crumbs for garnish.
4. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients and then, with the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the milk (and the food coloring, if using). Beat until just combined—do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
5. Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides.
6. Bake for 19–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For about 36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
7. Make the frosting: Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have about 1/2 cup. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, cream, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if desired.
8. Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate with remaining pistachio crumbs (and strawberry slices, if desired). I used the Ateco #849 piping tip.
9. Cover leftover cupcakes tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.

Notes

1. Make Ahead Instructions: Cupcakes can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then make the frosting and decorate.
2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Freeze-Dried Strawberries (like these or these) | Piping Bags (Disposable or Reusable) | Ateco #849 Piping Tip | Cupcake Carrier (for storage)
3. Cake Flour: If you can’t find cake flour, you can make this homemade cake flour substitute. I suggest doing this twice, mixing it all up in 1 bowl, and then removing 1/4 cup since you need 1 and 3/4 cups in this recipe.
4. Whole Milk & Sour Cream: Whole milk and sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cupcakes may not be as light. Same goes with a lower-fat milk. Nondairy milk works in a pinch. You can replace both the whole milk and sour cream with buttermilk (1 cup; 240ml) if needed.
5. Amount of Batter: This recipe yields between 3–4 cups of batter, which is helpful if you’re reviewing the Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions page.
6. Leftover Egg Yolks? I have some recipe ideas for you!
7. Food Coloring: The pictured cupcake batter did not include green food coloring, which is why it’s a bit yellow. If you want a more vibrant shade of green, add a small drop of green gel food coloring.
8. Pistachio Cake: Here is my pistachio cake recipe. For a smaller 6-inch cake, use the same batter as these cupcakes and follow my instructions for a 6-inch cake.
9. Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin.