Chocolate Pistachio Cupcakes with Pistachio Buttercream

Total Time Prep: 30 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling
Yield 2 dozen
Test Kitchen Approved
Chocolate pistachio cupcakes with pistachio buttercream are just as decadent as they sound. Get a really good jar of pistachio cream for this recipe—you’ll use almost all of it!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • FILLING:
  • 1 cup pistachio cream
  • FROSTING:
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup pistachio cream
  • 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk and water. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and water, beating well after each addition.
  2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
  3. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry bag; insert a very small tip. Fill with pistachio cream. Push the tip through the bottom of paper liner to fill each cupcake.
  4. For frosting, in a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in pistachio cream, milk, vanilla and salt. Frost cupcakes; garnish with chopped pistachios.

Nutrition Facts

1 cupcake: 328 calories, 16g fat (7g saturated fat), 36mg cholesterol, 244mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate (33g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.

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