Little pistachio cakes
These nutty little cupcakes, topped with cream cheese icing make a pretty addition to any buffet dessert or afternoon tea spread
These nutty little cupcakes, topped with cream cheese icing make a pretty addition to any buffet dessert or afternoon tea spread
Ingredients
175 g slightly salted butter, soft, plus extra for greasing
75 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
140 g pistachios, plus extra, chopped, for scattering
1 tsp baking powder
175 g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tbsp milk
For the icing
290 g tub full-fat cream cheese
50 g slightly salted butter, softened
100 g icing sugar
Method
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan and grease a 12-hole silicone muffin or friand mould, then dust with a little flour, and tip out the excess (a metal tray will work too, but line with muffin cases, as the mixture may stick). 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 ⅔ 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 run a knife around the edge of each cake and turn out onto a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. Using an electric hand whisk, blend 2 1/2 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.
