PISTACHIO CUPCAKES
Makes 12
INGREDIENTS
175g lightly salted butter, really soft, plus extra for greasing
75g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
140g pistachios, plus a few, chopped, for scattering
1 tsp baking powder
175g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
For the icing
290g tub full-fat cream cheese
50g lightly salted butter, softened
100g icing sugar
METHOD
Heat oven to 180C and grease a 12-hole silicone muffin tin, then dust with a little flour, and tip out the excess. Put the pistachios in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped but not greasy. Add the remaining cake ingredients and blend again into a creamy mixture. Use 2 spoons to fill each hole of your tray 2/3 full, place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the mould for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the icing. Using an electric hand whisk, blend 3 tbsp of the cream cheese with the butter until smooth, then add the remaining cream cheese and icing sugar. Whizz again until creamy, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle, and chill until ready to use.
When the cakes are cool, pipe spikes of icing on top of each one, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
TIP: Can be made ahead – store the un-iced cakes in a sealed container for up to 3 days and chill the icing for 2 days.