Rosewater-Pistachio Cupcakes

Photo: The Gouda Life

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch fine grain salt

3 tablespoons ground pistachios

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup milk (I used 1%%)

1 egg, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons rosewater (1 if you like very subtle, 2 if you like things rosier)

Icing:

2 1/2 cups icing sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon milk

5 drops red food colouring

2 drops vanilla extract

1 teaspoon rosewater

1 tablespoon ground pistachios

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325. Line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners.

Cake:

In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pistachios. Add the butter and beat on medium until it becomes sandy in texture.

Whisk the milk, egg, vanilla and rosewater. Add it to dry ingredients in three shots, mixing on medium between each addition. Once all the wet ingredients are in, mix on medium-high speed for 15 seconds.

Spoon into liners until 2/3s full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just barely golden brown. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the centre of cupcakes. If it comes out clean, they are cooked. If any wet batter comes out, bake for a few more minutes.

Remove from muffin-tin and let cool on a wire rack.

Icing:

Beat sugar and butter together over medium-high speed until blended and smooth. Add the milk, food colouring, pistachios and vanilla. Beat again until blended scraping the bottom of the bowl mid-way through. If icing is too thin, add more sugar. If too thick, add more milk a teaspoon at a time. Pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes.