Pistachio, cardamom and saffron are a match made in baking heaven! These glam pistachio cupcakes are beautiful enough for parties and special occasions but are fairly easy to make. Pistachio is a favourite flavour of mine and it goes so beautifully with Indian spices. It bakes really beautifully and it has an unmistakable taste. You may have already come across my Saffron and Pistachio Shortbread, Rose and Pistachio Cream Cones and Pistachio Halwa. This Vegan Pistachio Olive Oil Cake is is full of bright flavour. The frosting is a luxurious blend of buttercream with hints of saffron. It’s golden in colour with the exquisite taste of saffron. I finish off the cupcakes with the most delicate hint of pistachio dust just to give it an ultra high-end look! I think you’ll love these.
Ingredients notes
Eggless pistachio cupcake batter
Self raising flour – a type of flour that has baking powder already mixed in, making it convenient for baking recipes that require leavening. To make it at home, simply combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder. Sunflower oil – essentially you need a flavourless oil here. Crushed pistachio – I grind whole pistachios down to a coarse texture. Ensure to use the plain variety and not roasted/salted. Sugar – use white granulated sugar. Cardamom powder – not essential but adds an Indian touch to this recipe. Milk – whole milk works best due to its fat content. Lemon juice Natural yogurt Baking powder Bicarbonate of soda
Saffron buttercream frosting
Butter – unsalted is best, ensure it is at room temperature Icing sugar – also known as powdered or confectioners’ sugar. To make it at home, blend 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a blender or food processor until it’s a fine, powdery consistency. Saffron threads soaked in a spoon of warm milk. Ensure the milk reaches room temperature before adding to the buttercream to prevent splitting. Garnish with fine pistachio – when grinding down pistachios for the batter above, you can sieve out the fine pistachio for garnishing.
Storage
You can store pistachio cupcakes in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for 3 months but it is likely that the texture will change upon thawing.
More Eggless Baking Recipes
Indian Honey Cake Ras Malai Cake Gulab Jamun Cake with Mix As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First published in January 2012.
