These Rose and Pistachio Cupcakes are a gorgeous mini cupcake recipe made with a tender green pistachio base and topped with a sweet, floral pink rose buttercream frosting.
If you’re planning a springtime baby shower, a Mother’s Day brunch, or a sweet Valentine’s treat, this is a perfect dessert.
You can also try these Blackberry Chocolate Cupcakes and Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed Cookie Cups for other pink-themed sweets.
How to Make Rose & Pistachio Cupcakes
Ingredients you’ll need for Cupcakes
Ingredients you’ll need for Buttercream:
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a mini cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a bowl, mix milk and lemon juice. Let sit for 2–3 minutes.
3. Add melted butter, sugar, and salt. Mix well.
4. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until smooth.
5. Add green food coloring and mix to desired shade.
6. Fold in chopped pistachios.
7. Fill cupcake liners halfway with batter.
8. Bake for 12–13 minutes, then reduce temperature to 320°F (160°C) and bake another 10–12 minutes.
9. Remove and let cool completely.
10. For the buttercream, beat butter until smooth.
11. Add powdered sugar gradually and mix until combined.
12. Add lemon juice and rose water. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
13. Add pink food coloring and mix until evenly colored.
14. Transfer buttercream to a piping bag.
15. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes in a circular motion.
16. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and add dried rose buds if desired.
Serve & Enjoy!
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Muffin pan for cupcakes and muffins
Piping bags for decorating
Important Recipe Notes
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Once you add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture, stir just until combined. Overmixing can lead to dense, tough mini cupcakes instead of light and fluffy ones.
- Letting the milk and lemon juice sit for 2–3 minutes creates a quick homemade buttermilk. This adds moisture and reacts with the baking soda to give your cupcakes a great rise.
- Start with just a single drop of green food coloring for the batter and pink for the buttercream. You want subtle, delicate pastel shades rather than bright neon colors to match the refined flavor profile.
- Make sure the mini cupcakes are 100% cool before piping the rose buttercream. Warm cupcakes will melt the butter in the frosting, causing it to slide right off.
- Adjust the Rose Water to Taste: Rose water can be strong! Stick to the 2 teaspoons written in the recipe for a gentle floral aroma, or start with 1 teaspoon if you’re sensitive to floral flavors.
- Store leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving so the buttercream softens up nicely.
Rose and Pistachio Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup 180 ml milk
- 1 tablespoon 15 ml lemon juice
- 1/2 cup 115 g butter, melted
- 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon 3 g salt
- 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon 5 g baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon 3 g baking soda
- Green food coloring
- 1/2 cup 60 g pistachios, chopped
Buttercream
- 1 cup 225 g butter, softened
- 3 cups 360 g powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons 10 ml lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons 10 ml rose water
- Pink food coloring
- Decoration:
- 1/4 cup 30 g pistachios, chopped
- Dried rose buds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a mini cupcake pan with liners.
- In a bowl, mix milk and lemon juice. Let sit for 2–3 minutes.
- Add melted butter, sugar, and salt. Mix well.
- Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until smooth.
- Add green food coloring and mix to desired shade.
- Fold in chopped pistachios.
- Fill cupcake liners halfway with batter.
- Bake for 12–13 minutes, then reduce temperature to 320°F (160°C) and bake another 10–12 minutes.
- Remove and let cool completely.
- For the buttercream, beat butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar gradually and mix until combined.
- Add lemon juice and rose water. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Add pink food coloring and mix until evenly colored.
- Transfer buttercream to a piping bag.
- Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes in a circular motion.
- Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and add dried rose buds if desired.
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