Salted Pistachio Chocolate Cupcakes

These Salted Pistachio Chocolate Cupcakes are a celebration of nutty pistachio flavor. Moist chocolate cupcakes are filled with luscious pistachio-chocolate ganache and crowned with a swirl of salted pistachio buttercream.

Pistachios are having a moment. Actually, more than just a moment. First, there’s Starbucks’ pistachio latte making a comeback this year – both in hot and cold brew form. And then the viral TikTok-famous . It seems like pistachio-inspired sweets are everywhere. And honestly, I’m here for it.

Pistachios have been considered a luxury item since Roman times (yes, they’re that fancy). It’s all due to their long growing season and the effort it takes to harvest them. Recently, food writers have coined them as ““. While they’re a bit pricier than your average nut, we can still enjoy them in a more practical manner than say, the most expensive baklava in the world (). How? By using a little pistachio butter to turn an ordinary devil’s food cupcake into something extra-special.

This recipe is practical, but doesn’t skimp on flavor. We’re talking moist, dark devil’s food cupcakes filled with pistachio-chocolate ganache and topped with a dreamy salted pistachio buttercream. It’s the perfect sweet-salty balance that takes it over the top. If you’ve ever tasted chocolate with a sprinkle of sea salt, you already know where this is going.

Pistachio Butter Filling

The filling is an easy 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream that has two tablespoons of pistachio butter added. Use your favorite semisweet bar chocolate or some high quality chips. Get those three ingredients together in a bowl, heat in the microwave for one minute, then stir together until a smooth ganache forms.

Why use pistachio butter?

Pistachio butter gives you the most bang for your buck with pure, concentrated pistachio flavor. Often you can use less of it in a recipe to achieve a robust nutty flavor. (See recipe notes for pistachio butter vs paste.) I explored options for making it homemade, but found out – well, in this current economy – that I wasn’t saving money by DIYing it. Get yourself a jar of ready-made pistachio butter at the grocery store that only contains 1 ingredient: pistachios. It will be much less expensive locally (at my locale, $6-ish a jar) but if you can’t find it nearby, you can order some

More Pistachios, Please!

In addition to the paste, the filling gets 1/4 cup of roasted salted pistachios mixed in. I get these at my local grocery store, that are already roasted and shelled. But you can also . The salt in the pistachios really intensifies the flavor of the ganache. It’s such a decadent surprise inside the cupcake.

Chocolate Cupcakes

The cupcakes you may recognize from . It’s such a tender cake, but it still holds up to filling very well. Cut a divot into the tops of the cakes using a serrated knife. Make the hole large enough to pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ganache filling. When all the cupcakes are filled, make the pistachio buttercream.

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Salted Pistachio Buttercream

The buttercream is easier to make than you might expect! It’s adapted from my Peanuts and Coke Cupcakes recipe from .

First, cream together 1 cup of unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of pistachio butter. Beat on high speed until well combined and slightly lightened in color. Add in 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt and beat again. Next, add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar; mix on medium speed until combined. The mixture will be thick. Add in 1/4 cup heavy cream and whip until light and fluffy. The natural color of the buttercream will lean to the yellow side, which is perfectly acceptable. But I decided to add just a touch of green food color to give a greener hue. This is totally optional, but recommended for that recognizable pistachio color.

Pipe or Dollops

Immediately transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip. Or you can dollop mounds of buttercream on top of the cupcakes using an ice cream scoop.

There’s only one suitable topping for these cupcakes – more roasted, salted pistachios! Give each cupcake a sprinkle right after frosting.

This is the kind of treat to whip up when you want to bring a little sophistication to the table. (Can cupcakes be sophisticated? I think so!) Perfect for milestone birthdays, ribbon cuttings, corporate events, weddings, and showers. They’re a little fancy and totally worth it.

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Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SprinkleBakes