Pistachio Cupcakes with Pink Champagne Frosting
There are moments in life that call for a sturdy stick-to-your-bones meal, and moments for Pistachio Cupcakes with PINK CHAMPAGNE FROSTING. These little babies are pure celebration, meant to be double-fisted with smiles and confetti.
I love how certain foods can change your mood in an instant. You will never see a person holding a cupcake with a frown on their face. Never.
Served on elegant Villeroy & Boch Dishes.
Cupcakes are a source of nostalgic joy. As I peel back the paper liner, my mind is flooded with memories of birthdays, Valentine’s parties and picnics. My husband would tell you that cupcakes taste better than regular cake. I’m not quite sure of the rationale here, but he is ATIMATE that the individual portion improves the flavor… I just smile and nod.
This Pistachio Cupcakes with Pink Champagne Frosting recipe was birthed out of the need to create a pink and green cupcake combo for an event. The rich nutty pistachio flavor accents the delicate champagne essence and the textures of both are divine. The Pistachio cupcake is light and moist, yet with a touch of crunch from the chopped pistachios. The Pink Champagne Frosting is truly unique, with a roux-like base that allows it to be beaten to a “whipped cream” consistency, yet still sit out at room temperature.
Enjoy. These cupcakes are sure to bring a little cheer into your day!
My little girl made these frou-frou cupcake toppers with a paper punch and craft buttons. Isn’t she clever?
COOK’S NOTES:
- Pistachio and almond extract taste very similar. If you can’t find pistachio extract, no worries.
- Champagne extract is sold at baking supply stores. To make the frosting without it, simmer 1/2 a cup of champagne until in reduces down to a couple tablespoons.
- The flour base of the frosting will thicken to a paste consistency when cooked. Make sure to whisk the entire time so you don’t have clumps.
More Single-Serve Ideas:
Brownie Banana Bread Cupcakes ~ How Sweet It Is
Strawberry Yogurt Muffins ~ A Spicy Perspective
Zucchini Nutella Swirl Muffins ~ A Spicy Perspective
Pistachio Cupcakes with Pink Champagne Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup half and half
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pistachio extract or almond extract
- 1 cup ground pistachios
- Green food coloring if desired
For the Frosting:
- 1 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 cup half and half
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoon champagne extract
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Red food coloring if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place cupcakes liners into standard muffin pans. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside. Whisk the half&half and eggs together in a separate bowl and set aside.
- In an electric mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the extracts and mix well. Alternate adding the dry mixture and the wet mixture into the sugar mix, until all are combined. Stir in the ground pistachios and 1-2 drops food coloring.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, add the half & half, extracts, and flour to a cold sauce pan. Whisk until there are NO lumps. Then heat over medium, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Whisk and cook a few more minutes until it thickens into a paste. Remove from heat and place the pan in the fridge to cool.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a clean mixing bowl, for 5-7 minutes, until fluffy and glossy.
- Once cooled, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until light and fluffy 5 minutes. Color with 1-2 drops of food coloring if desired.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.
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I know this is an old post but I was wondering, do you think I can replace the half an half with all in milk? We can’t have dairy. Would I need to reduce the amount since it Isn’t as thick as half and half? Thanks!
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I made these today and while the cupcake itself was delicious, I couldn’t get the frosting recipe to work. I followed directions exactly but somehow it ended up not coming together? almost looked curdled or something….so i ended up doing a plain buttercream instead. But i’ll definitely try this one again!
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I want to make these for my daughter’s school’s “May Day” festival….it’s a real British tradition…going back hundreds of years…..these would suit the “garden party” atmosphere and will look great next to all the pieces of Victoria Sponge…oooooh I hope I can pull it off!!!
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Hi there! I LOVE pistachios! I’m really excited to try this recipe. Quick question though…how long are these able to stay at room temperature? Would I be able to make and frost them today and leave them out to serve them tomorrow evening or should I refrigerate them and then let them come to room temperature tomorrow afternoon?
Thank you!
Hi! I would refrigerate them and sit them out at room temperature tomorrow morning. Have fun!!
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thankx alot for the recipe i have to try it right on
little question from where can i get the cute little cups with the flowers
thankx
Hi there! I found those at a baking supply store. :)
Hi can you please let me know what is ‘half and half’ also is cake flour like self raising flour?
Many thanks
Tara
Hi Tara,
Half and Half is half milk and half cream here in the states. Cake flour is a low protein flour that is lighter weight than all purpose. Hope this helps you find what you need. :)
I really loved the look of these cupcakes and wanted to make them for Christmas (when all stores were already closed). So I did make them but made my own pistachio frosting since I couldn’t get the extract. My question is regarding the amount of half & half that your recipe calls for. I had to use 1 1/4 cup and not 1 1/4 tsp. as the recipe states – they turned out beautifully once the liquid was adjusted . I can’t wait to make them again with your buttercream recipe. Thanks!
Yikes! Sorry about the typo. You got it just right. I’ll fix that immediately. :)