Pistachio Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes
45 minutes
14 reads
About Pistachio Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes
Why settle for a plain chocolate cupcake when you can hide something magical inside? These chocolate cupcakes are filled with rich, nutty pistachio cream and topped with pistachio mascarpone frosting that'll have everyone asking what your secret is-the answer: Turkish pistachio cream. You're welcome. Finish these cupcakes off with a drizzle of pistachio sauce on top, and you’ll have an unforgettable dessert.
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Recipe Time & More
Prep30 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Total45 minutes
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp espresso powder optional, but highly recommended - it deepens the chocolate flavor
- 1 cup milk of choice
- ½ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 eggs large
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup water boiling
Pistachio Filling Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened pistachio butter ½ cup pistachio cream
- 3 tbsp sugar only if using unsweetened pistachio butter
Pistachio Mascarpone Frosting Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy cream cold
- ¼ cup mascarpone cheese cold
- ¼ cup unsweetened pistachio butter Or ¼ cup pistachio cream
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar or ¼ cup powdered sugar if using ¼ cup pistachio cream
Instructions
How to Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Stir until well mixed.
- Add the milk, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined; be careful not to overmix.
- Carefully pour in the boiling water and mix until the batter is smooth. It'll be thinner than you expect. That's perfect.
- Divide the batter evenly into a lined muffin tin. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for another 15 minutes.
- Using a small knife, cut a small well into the center of each cooled cupcake. Spoon in a heaping tablespoon (or two) of pistachio butter filling or pistachio cream. If you can place the cut-out piece back on top, go for it. If not, the frosting will cover it just fine.
How to Make the Pistachio Mascarpone Frosting
- Combine cold heavy cream, mascarpone, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Whisk until fluffy, a few minutes by hand or with a mixer.
- Gently fold in your pistachio butter or pistachio cream + powdered sugar, then whisk again until light and fluffy. If you accidentally over-beat it, add a few teaspoons of cold heavy cream and gently mix it in with a spatula to bring it back.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and top your cupcakes generously. Finish with a squeeze of pistachio drizzle (like Peppertux pistachio drizzle) on top for that next-level presentation.
Recipe Notes
For the pistachio drizzle, we recommend Peppertux pistachio drizzle for a delicious finishing touch.
What's the Difference Between Pistachio Butter and Pistachio Cream?
Great question, and it matters for this recipe. Here's the breakdown on the differences between pistachio butter and pistachio cream:- Good pistachio butter is made from pure pistachios. Dense, deeply nutty, and ground into a creamy butter with a bit of texture. It's the most versatile for baking because you control the sweetness yourself.
- Pistachio cream is the more indulgent cousin. It starts with the same great, pure pistachio base, but by adding oil, a sweetener, and other simple ingredients, it gives it a much creamier, sweeter profile. It's velvety, rich, and honestly tastes like something you'd find in a high-end pastry shop. For this recipe, it works beautifully as both the filling and the frosting base.
Can I Use Pistachio Drizzle on These Cupcakes? Is That Too Much?
You can absolutely drizzle pistachio sauce or pistachio drizzle at the end, and we'd argue you should. Pistachio drizzle is a pourable pistachio sauce that comes in a squeeze bottle, making it incredibly easy to finish off your cupcakes with a beautiful, glossy swirl. It's sweeter and more fluid than pistachio butter or cream, which makes it ideal as a topping rather than a filling or frosting base. A few squeezes of pistachio sauce over the finished frosting add:- Visual appeal — that deep green against the frosting is stunning.
- Extra pistachio punch — layering pistachio sauce over a pistachio frosting creates real depth of flavor.
- A professional finish — it genuinely makes homemade cupcakes look bakery-level.
Can I Make These Cupcakes Vegan?
Yes! The recipe is very adaptable. For a fully vegan version:- Use your preferred plant-based milk in the cupcake batter.
- Choose a vegan pistachio cream option for both the filling and the frosting. Peppertux makes a vegan pistachio cream you could swap in.
- Swap the mascarpone in the frosting for a vegan cream cheese alternative and use a plant-based heavy cream substitute.
- Pistachio butter itself is naturally vegan (but always be sure to check the label).
- Skip the pistachio drizzle. The pistachio drizzle likely contains whey and skimmed milk powder, so skip that as a topping if you're keeping things fully vegan. The pistachio cream on its own makes a beautiful finish too, in place of the drizzle.
Tips for Getting the Frosting Just Right
A few things worth knowing before you whip:- Everything should be cold. Cold heavy cream and cold mascarpone whip up properly and hold their shape. Pull them from the fridge right before you use them.
- Don't rush the initial whip. Whisk the cream, mascarpone, and powdered sugar until fluffy, then add the pistachio butter or cream. Adding it too early can make the frosting denser than you want.
- Add the pistachio gently. Fold in the pistachio butter or cream slowly and whisk again. If it over-beats and starts looking grainy or curdled, folding in a few teaspoons of cold heavy cream with a spatula will usually fix it.
- Taste before piping. Different pistachio products and brands vary in sweetness. If you used the unsweetened pistachio butter, taste the frosting before piping and adjust the powdered sugar if needed.
- Pipe cold, serve at room temperature. The frosting holds its shape best when cold. If you're prepping ahead, frost the cupcakes and refrigerate, then bring them to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Is Pistachio Cream Naturally Green?
Yes, good pistachio cream is naturally green because pistachios are naturally green! The inside of a pistachio is a vibrant green, especially in early-harvest Turkish and Iranian pistachios. A good pistachio cream will be a vibrant green, whereas artificially green products will appear more neon green. Yellow or brown pistachio cream may indicate that mature-harvest pistachios were used. Naturally green pistachios will make for a fresher, less-oxidized pistachio product ideal for baking.Related Posts You May Like
Recipe Nutrition
Calories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 337mgPotassium: 101mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 178IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 1mg
