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Rose & Pistachio cupcake

A delicious vanilla cupcake with finely chopped pistachio nuts, topped with silky smooth rosewater swiss meringue buttercream.

Cook Time 18 minutes
Servings 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup warm water

Dry mix

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1 1/2 cups castor (granulated) sugar
  • 1/2 cup pistachio nuts finely chopped

Rosewater Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 6 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups castor sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups butter (280g) at room temperature, chopped
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons rosewater I use 1/4 cup, but just add a few tblsp at a time until you are happy
  • 1 drop pink gel paste colouring

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 C

  2. Line two muffin pans with 18 cupcake liners

Cupcake instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, using a hand whisk, beat together eggs, oil and vanilla

  2. Add sour cream, mix well

  3. Add water, whisk together until well combined

  4. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and sugar together

  5. Add finely chopped pistachio nuts. Mix well with a hand whisk

  6. Carefully pour wet mix into dry mix and whisk together until well combined. Using an ice cream scoop,pour batter into cupcake liners.  

  7. Bake for 18 minutes or until firm to touch and sightly brown. Cool on wire rack before frosting with Swiss meringue buttercream.

Rosewater Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  1. Separate egg whites from yolks

  2. Put egg whites into a heatproof bowl ( I use my Kitchenaid bowl) 

    NOTE : Make sure your bowl and whisk are very clean and dry. Rub with lemon juice to get rid of any oily residue that will hinder your egg whites getting fluffy.

  3. Add sugar and whisk together with a hand whisk until well combined

  4. Put bowl on top of a saucepan with 1/2 inch (2cm) water in the bottom. Turn stove onto medium heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved,about ten minutes. 

    * You can check when it is ready by lifting a spatula of mixture, drizzling it and rubbing two fingers between it. Mixture is ready when cannot feel the sugar granules. NOTE : Be careful! It will be hot.

  5. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk egg mixture on med - high until soft peaks form, about 8 minutes.

  6. Change to paddle attachment and reduce speed to the lowest dial.

  7. Gradually add butter, one cube at a time. It is important to keep the mixer on the lowest speed. Keep adding butter until it is all mixed in. This can take around ten minutes.

    NOTE : Don't panic if the mixture looks soupy, then curdled, like scrambled eggs. This is normal and it will eventually come together.

  8. Once your buttercream looks silky smooth, and you are doing the Happy Dance because it worked, add rosewater and one or two drops of food colouring. Woo Hoo! You did it! Now have fun making your cupcakes look pretty! xx