Pistachio Chocolate Cupcakes
Rich, creamy, and totally irresistible - these Pistachio Chocolate Cupcakes from The Mindful Meringue start with an easy, no-stress chocolate cupcake base and are piled high with silky pistachio frosting. Want to take them up a notch? Add a crunchy surprise inside with toasted kataifi and pistachio cream for an unexpected twist!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- â…“ cup Dutch cocoa, processed/superior red
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp espresso powder
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup canola oil or other light vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup hot water, boiled
For the Pistachio Frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup pistachio spread/cream (such as Pisti pistachio cream)
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream (35% milkfat)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
For the Pistachio Crunch Filling (optional)
- â…“ cup pistachio spread/cream such as Pisti pistachio creamÂ
- ¼ cup toasted kataifi (Shredded phyllo), fresh or frozen, then toasted with butter (see notes for detailed instructions)
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Line cupcake/muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk this flour mixture to combine.
- To the flour mixture, directly add egg, vegetable oil, vanilla, and milk.
- Mix until well incorporated and mixture is a thick, glossy, dark brown paste.
- Add boiling water to the mixture (slowly). Gently stir until the mixture transitions from a paste consistency to a thin liquid consistency.
- Fill each cupcake liner approximately ¾ full of batter.
- Divide any remaining batter into the 12 cupcake liners, making sure all have roughly the same amount of batter.
- Bake cupcakes for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the cupcake/muffin pans and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Pistachio Frosting
- Beat softened butter. Add pistachio spread and continue to mix until smooth, and creamy.
- Add powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed. Increase speed to medium-high until creamy consistency once again achieved. Scrape down bowl.
- Add 3 tbsp of heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat for 2-3 minutes until frosting is fluffy. Set aside.
For the Pistachio Crunch Filling (optional)
- Toast kataifi (shredded phyllo) in a pan with butter or oil, until it becomes golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool completely. See notes below for full instructions.
- Mix together pistachio spread and toasted kataifi. Set aside.
To Assemble
- If filling your cupcakes, cut out circles of cupcake from each of your cupcakes. Add a teaspoon of pistachio cream to each cupcake. Add back the tops of each cupcake, over top of the pistachio cream filling.
- Place pistachio frosting into a piping bag with your desired tip. Pipe frosting over each cupcake (note: I like to pipe these cupcakes with a star tip and to create either classic frosting mounds or rose like piping that starts in the center and moves outwards)
- Decorate with pieces of crushed pistachios, chocolate, or kataifi, as desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Notes from the chef:Â
- How to prepare your Crispy Kataifi (shredded Phyllo): In a medium pan, melt your butter and add Kataifi shredded dough. Fry until all pastry has crisped and is golden brown, approximately 5-10 min (note: you can add an additional 1 tbsp of coconut oil/butter, if needed, to help browning during the frying process).
- Want to make a filling but can’t find Kataifi? Anything crunchy can work for the pistachio filling – you can try crushed pistachios, chocolate pieces, or rice cereal!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
