Pistachio Cupcakes Creamy Buttercream (Printable)

Moist pistachio-infused cupcakes crowned with creamy, nutty buttercream frosting for an elegant dessert experience.

# What You'll Need:

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01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

02 - Finely grind 4.25 oz pistachios in a food processor. Reserve 1-2 tbsp for garnish.

03 - Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Stir in the ground pistachios.

04 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.

05 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.

06 - Add dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

07 - Divide batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners.

08 - Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Allow to cool completely.

09 - Grind 3.5 oz pistachios finely, leaving slightly coarse texture if desired.

10 - Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fully incorporated.

11 - Mix in ground pistachios, vanilla, salt, and 2 tbsp milk. Beat until fluffy, adding additional milk as needed for consistency.

12 - Pipe or spread buttercream onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with reserved ground pistachios.

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Real pistachios in both the cake and frosting create an authentic nutty flavor you cannot fake with extract alone
The texture is incredibly moist and tender, staying fresh for days if you can resist eating them all immediately

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Room temperature ingredients are nonnegotiable here because cold butter or eggs will cause the batter to curdle and affect the final texture
Overgrinding the pistachios releases too much oil and makes the cupcakes dense and greasy instead of light and tender

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Toast half the pistachios before grinding for an even deeper, more complex nutty flavor in both the cake and frosting
Add a tiny drop of almond extract to the buttercream to enhance the natural pistachio flavor without anyone being able to pinpoint what makes it taste so good