Rose and pistachio cupcakes recipe

This simple and cute rose and pistachio cupcakes are almost to pretty to eat (do eat them though - they taste great).

This is a great bake for a party or a cake sale because they're simple to do and take just a little over half an hour (about an hour including cooling time). This recipe makes a dozen little cakes, which you can arrange on one large platter or on a tiered plate. The pretty pink and green makes them a great bake for summer garden parties or even an alternative wedding cake where each guest gets one cupcake each instead of a slice. They're also great for Valentines Day or Mother's Day - pretty in pink.

Ingredients

• 120g butter, softened
• 160g caster sugar
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk
• 100g chopped pistachios

For the buttercream:

• 120g butter, softened
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 2 tbsp milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together in a large, clean bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate large, clean bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the rosewater.
4. Fold in half the sifted flour, then the milk, then the rest of the flour, gently folding well to combine after each addition. 
5. Split the chopped pistachios into two equal piles. Gently fold one pile into the cake mixture, reserving the rest to use for the topping. 
6. Spoon the cupcake mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 18-20 mins or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place on wire racks to cool completely.
7. Lightly toast the remaining pistachio nuts and set aside to cool.
8. For the buttercream: In a large, clean bowl cream the butter, then gradually add and stir in the sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the rosewater and milk.
9. Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and then, garnish with candied rose petals and toasted pistachios.

Top tip for making rose and pistachio cupcakes

Want to perfect that rosy swirl for the icing? Check out out guide to piping the perfect iced-rose with this easy-to-follow video.

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• Easy cupcake recipe (opens in new tab)
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• Valentine's Day cakes (opens in new tab)