Rosewater cupcakes with candied pistachios

Rosewater cupcakes are a lovely alternative to vanilla! (photo by Ashley)

I love using rosewater – it’s got such a delicate flavour. It works beautifully in cupcakes because you only need a tiny amount to create a lovely, lightly floral taste. These are very easy to make and work beautifully with pink frosting. This is a recipe I cobbled together out of several other recipes.

140g soft butter or baking spread (like Stork)
150g caster sugar
2 large hens eggs (works well with 2 small duck eggs too!)
1 1/2 tbsp rose water
200mls whole milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
225g self-raising flour

For the frosting

large handful of pistachios
50g of icing sugar for the pistachios
500g icing sugar, sifted
15og very soft buter
2 tbsp rosewater
50mls whole milk
Red food colouring

Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl or standmixer until pale and very fluffy.
Using a fork or a small whisk, beat the eggs in a small bowl and slowly add to the butter mixture, beating all the time. In a large jug, measure out your milk and add the tbsp of lemon juice. Mix together with a fork – it will look a bit weird and curdle-y but it will be ok! Slowly add to mixer and beat in. Don’t worry if it’s split – it will come together with the flour.
Now turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the flour, followed by the rosewater. Beat on a low speed until combined.
Pop some paper baking cases into your cupcake tin and divide the mixture between them. They should be roughly 3/4 full.
Bake for 20-25 mins. They’re done when they’re springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean.
While they’re baking, make your candied pistachios. Simple pop a handful of chopped up, shelled pistachios in a frying pan with the 50g of icing sugar and mix well until the nuts are coated. Warm on a low heat until the sugar melts and the nuts go golden brown. Be careful – it will be very hot! When they’re nice and golden, turn out onto some baking parchment to cool.
To make the frosting, pop your icing sugar and your butter in a standmixer and beat on low until they’re well combined – it will look like sand. Add in the rosewater and the milk, and beat on medium for a couple of minutes until well mixed. Add in a drop or two of red food dye and turn the speed up to high. Beat on high for at least 4 mins until the frosting is very fluffy. Taste it – add more rosewater if you want to.
When the cakes are out of the oven, leave them for 5 mins before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool.
When they’re cold, transfer your frosting into a piping bag with a star nozzle and frost each cake. Sprinkle with the candied pistachios and leave to set slightly.
Serve with a nice cup of tea or a cocktail! These go particularly well with a gin and tonic! :)