Pistachio Cupcakes

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Sorry I'm a couple of days late sharing St. Patrick's Day cupcakes, but hey at least it's still the month of March :)

I made these Pistachio cupcakes for my boss's birthday.  He actually has a St. Patrick's day birthday and he's part Irish too, so I thought Pistachio cupcakes would be perfect for his special day.

This was my first time ever making any type of pistachio dessert and now I'm hooked!
So yummy!
I love eating pistachios by themselves, but never thought to use them in a dessert until the nice people at Diamond of California sent me a bag of Pistachios to play around with.
Diamond is a brand you can rely on for quality and freshness!
I was so happy with the final result and everyone at the office seemed to enjoy them too!

I love the pop of color the raspberries add to the cupcake.





















Pistachio Cupcakes

1 box French Vanilla cake mix
1 small pkg. instant pistachio pudding
1 cup buttermilk
4 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 6 oz. pkg. Diamond of California shelled Pistachios for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line pan with cupcake liners.

Sift cake mix into a large mixing bowl.
Add pudding, eggs, buttermilk and oil. 
Using an electric mixer, mix until ingredients are all combined.
Using a large cookie scoop, fill liners 2/3 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until done.
Cool in pan for a few minutes and then place the cupcakes on a wire rack to continue cooling.

Vanilla Buttercream

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 cups confectioners sugar
1 T whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In the bowl of your stand mixer add butter and mix for about 1 minute.

Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time.
Add whipping cream and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.
Frost cooled cupcakes.
Garnish with finely chopped pistachios and a fresh raspberry.

Yield - 20 cupcakes