White Lily Cupcakes

Months ago I ran across the Three Clever Sisters website and was intrigued by what they were calling Pistachio Cardamom Cupcakes. 

 

I loved the sound of the spice combination but was a bit confused by the total lack of frosting...to me it looks more like a muffin, don't get me wrong I love muffins too, but I decided to set about really turning it into a cupcake.

Three Clever Sisters Blog, Pistachio Cardamom Cupcake

I started by changing the recipe in the following ways

 

• 2 Cups Cake flower (this is what makes cupcakes light)
• 1 1/8 teaspoons ground cardamon ** 
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder (fresh)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, I used sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground Cinnamon **
• 1 cup sugar, I used Demerara Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons, room temperature, unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs, room temperature *
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (use a good one, not imitation)
• 1 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
• 1 cup unsalted Pistachio's, chopped and divided

 

* the size of your eggs is a key element in baking, when I say large, that is what I mean, don't use 3 extra large or, 5 medium, use large.  If you are buying organic or have your own chickens then you have the right size. 

** indicated that I fresh ground mine, if you don't have fresh I suggest adding a bit more, maybe 1/8th to make the flavors strong enough

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, I always bake using the convection setting. 
• Take 1/2 cup pistachios and toast them either in the oven or on the stove top.
• Whisk/sift together the dry ingredients until all spices are evenly distributed
• Beat together Sugar and butter until fluffy (takes a bit longer with the Demerara Sugar)
• Add eggs 1 at a time mixing until yellow is incorporated
• Add Vanilla
• Mix in yogurt and dry ingredients, alternating, starting and ending with yogurt
• Stir in (do not mix) 1/2 cup roasted pistachios.
• Distribute batter, do not overfill, I use an ice cream scoop, not a heaping scoop, just filled.
• Bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean and tops bounce back nicely. 

Now for that frosting...

It is a Honey Buttercream Frosting

 

I'm sorry but my frosting is a secret so take your favorite Buttercream Frosting recipe and add about 3 tablespoons of butter when mixing. 

 

Top with remaining Pistachios

And there you have it, the Three Sisters Pistachio Cardamom Cupcake revamped. 

I feel like I changed it enough to rename it, I'm calling it the White Lily. 

 

Why? 

I view the spices as those found in the middle east, a hot spot for multiple religious beliefs and the Lily is used in many different religions to symbolize different things.  White, simply because that is the color of the frosting. 

Symbolism of the Lily

 

Enjoy!

We did, they are all gone.