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    Home » Recipes » Dessert » Cakes & Cupcakes!

    Pistachio Cardamom Cupcakes

    October 25, 2022 by Rosemary 2 Comments

    pistachio cardamom cupcakes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pistachio cardamom cupcakes with rosewater frosting! These Arabic inspired cupcakes use flavors from the Middle East like cardamom, fresh lemon, pistachio, and rosewater. I even added labneh in my rosewater frosting for a truly unique pistachio cupcake!

    Light, fluffy melt in your mouth texture... what more could you want from a cupcake. These pistachio cardamom cupcakes are one of the best cupcake recipes I've ever made!

    If you're looking to spice up your cupcakes, or want to try something new, look no further than these cupcakes with flavors from the Middle East. And the best part of these decadent cupcakes is that you can have them ready in under 1 hour!

    CARDAMOM PISTACHIO CUPCAKES INGREDIENTS

    You can make my easy pistachio cupcakes from scratch with these easy to find ingredients below.

    • Organic butter
    • Brown sugar
    • Eggs
    • Lemon zest
    • Vanilla extract
    • Cake flour
    • Pistachios
    • Baking powder
    • Ground cardamom
    • Sea salt
    • Whole milk

    THE ROSEWATER FROSTING

    I was going to do a different flavor for the homemade pistachio cupcake frosting... but then I wanted to make these cardamom pistachio cupcakes more Middle Eastern flavored so I decided to add fragrant rosewater into my frosting! The result was so delicious.

    ROSEWATER FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

    • Organic butter
    • Labneh (*or cream cheese for a thicker frosting)
    • Rosewater
    • Ground cardamom
    • Sea salt
    • Powdered sugar

    WHERE TO FIND ROSEWATER: Rosewater isn't something you will typically find at a grocery store. I buy mine at our local Arabic store. If you can not find rosewater, and don't want to wait to order it offline, a great substitute for the rosewater is fresh lemon juice.

    WHAT IS THE SECRET TO A LIGHT FLUFFY CUPCAKE?

    The number one secret to getting that light fluffy and buttery melt in your mouth cupcake texture is.... do not over mix your cupcake batter!! Also, I use cake flour, which has less protein and will develop less gluten.. and less "chewiness."

    1. DO NOT OVERMIX CUPCAKE BATTER
    2. USE CAKE FLOUR AND NOT ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

    HOW TO MAKE MY FLUFFY PISTACHIO CARDAMOM CUPCAKES

    I made my light and fluffy cardamom pistachio cupcakes in a bowl and hand held beaters this time, but these cardamom cupcake batter can definitely be made in a standing mixer.

    Make sure you add ½ the flour, then the milk, then the rest the flour to prevent over mixing.

    STEP 1 make the cardamom pistachio cupcake batter

    First, beat the ½ cup of soft butter and 1 cup of brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

    Next, add 2 room temperature eggs, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat until combined.

    In a separate bowl, sift together your dry ingredients:

    • 1 ¼ cup cake flour
    • ¼ cup pulverized pistachios (simply blend or food process whole pistachios until fine texture)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
    • ½ teaspoon pink sea salt

    Add half the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Mix till just combined.

    Next, add ½ cup whole milk. Mix till just combined.

    Finish with the remaining half of dry ingredients. Mix till just combined.

    cupcakes with cardamom
    pistachio cupcake batter
    cardamom pistachio cupcake batter

    STEP 2 bake and cool cupcakes

    Divide pistachio cardamom cupcake batter between 12 muffin tins.

    Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

    Cool cupcakes completely before frosting. To cool your cupcakes quickly, place them in the fridge.

    STEP 3 make the rosewater frosting and frost cupcakes

    You can make the rosewater frosting two different ways for these cupcakes:

    1. As a thin glaze made with labneh
    2. As a thick frosting made with cream cheese

    The thin glaze is made with labneh, but you can also use cream cheese with just a bit less powdered sugar. I loved using the labneh in my cupcakes to give them more of an Arabic flare. 🙂

    The thick frosting is made with cream cheese, since cream cheese will hold its form much better.

    frosting with labne
    rosewater frosting

    To make your rosewater frosting simply beat together:

    • ½ cup softened butter
    • 1 cup labneh
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • pinch of sea salt
    • 1-2 tablespoons rose water

    Beat till totally smooth then gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar until your rosewater frosting is very smooth. You can see that the frosting with labneh is not super thick. So make sure to substitute cream cheese if you're looking for a thicker frosting texture.

    pistachio cardamom cupcakes

    FAQ'S

    Frequently asked questions about my pistachio cardamom cupcake recipe.

    HOW CAN I MAKE MY CUPCAKES MORE APPEALING?

    To make pistachio cupcakes more beautiful, add delicate toppings like leftover crushed pistachios and rose petals. You don't have to add anything fancy to make cupcakes look pretty! I always add a bit of whatever flavor is in the cupcakes... maybe even tiny slices of lemon would look good!

    WHAT IS LABNEH?

    Labneh is a soft Middle Eastern cheese made from strained yogurt. You can buy Labneh at most grocery stores or Arabic grocery stores. You can also make labneh from scratch by straining Greek yogurt through a cheese cloth.

    CAN I MAKE THIS INTO A PISTACHIO CARDAMOM CAKE INSTEAD?

    Yes! Double the pistachio cardamom cupcake batter and divide it between two 9" cake pans. Or, make 1 batch of the cupcake batter and use two 6" cake pans. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Frost, decorate, and as you like!

    CAN I USE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR INSTEAD OF CAKE FLOUR?

    Yes, you can definitely use all purpose flour in my pistachio cupcake recipe. However, I highly recommend buying a bag of cake flour if you don't have it and make cakes frequently. Cake flour has low protein which means less gluten which will give you the softest cake and cupcakes!

    All purpose flour is great for anything from cookies, to pizza dough where you want that chewier texture.

    MORE DESSERT RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

    • Rose milk cake
    • Almond flour funfetti cupcakes
    • Qatayef
    • Basbousa with cream
    • Walnut baklava
    • Arabic Butter Cookies
    fluffy pistachio cardamom cupcakes

    If you try my Pistachio Cardamom Cupcake Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!

    pistachio cardamom cupcakes

    Pistachio Cardamom Cupcakes with Rosewater Frosting!

    Pistachio Cardamom Cupcakes with Rosewater Frosting! Light, fluffy melt in your mouth texture... what more could you want from a cupcake. These pistachio cardamom cupcakes are one of the best cupcake recipes I've ever made! If you're looking to spice up your cupcakes, or want to try something new, look no further than these cupcakes with flavors from the Middle East!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 18 mins
    Total Time 28 mins
    Course baking, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American, Arabic, Middle Eastern
    Servings 12 cupcakes
    Calories 380 kcal

    Equipment

    • Standing mixer
    • large mixing bowl
    • beaters

    Ingredients
      

    Cardamom Pistachio Cupcakes:

    • ½ cup organic butter, softened
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 2 lg eggs, room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest approximately zest of 1 lemon
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 ¼ cup cake flour
    • ¼ cup pulverized pistachios see notes
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 teaspoon ground cardamom
    • ½ teaspoon pink sea salt
    • ½ cup whole milk

    For the rosewater frosting:

    • ½ cup organic butter, softened
    • 1 cup labneh, room temperature or cream cheese
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • pinch pink sea salt
    • 1-2 tablespoon rose water
    • 3 cups powdered sugar

    Toppings/decorations:

    • rose petals
    • crushed pistachios

    Instructions
     

    How to make pistachio cardamom cupcakes

    • *Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and adjust rack to the center of the oven*
      First, beat the ½ cup of soft butter and 1 cup of brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
      Next, add 2 room temperature eggs, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
      In a separate bowl, sift together your dry ingredients.
      ½ cup organic butter, softened, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 lg eggs, room temperature, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 ¼ cup cake flour, ¼ cup pulverized pistachios, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon pink sea salt
    • Add half the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Mix till just combined.
    • Next, add ½ cup whole milk. Mix till just combined.
      ½ cup whole milk
    • Finish with the remaining half of dry ingredients. Mix till just combined.
      Pistachio cardamom cupcake batter
    • Divide pistachio cardamom cupcake batter evenly between 12 muffin tins.
      Pistachio cardamom cupcakes 6
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

    How to make the rosewater glaze or frosting:

    • In a bowl, beat together softened butter, labneh, ground cardamom, sea salt, and rose water till smooth.
      *Use cream cheese in place of labneh for thicker frosting*
      ½ cup organic butter, softened, 1 cup labneh, room temperature, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, pinch pink sea salt, 1-2 tablespoon rose water
      frosting with labne
    • Gradually add the powdered sugar.
      3 cups powdered sugar
    • Keep beating till your frosting is completely smooth and no lumps remain.
      rosewater frosting
    • Frost and decorate your cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!
      rose petals, crushed pistachios

    Notes

    HOW TO MAKE PULVERIZED PISTACHIOS- Simply measure out a heaping ¼ cup of whole shelled pistachios. Use either your blender or food processor to pulse them until they are the texture of fine crumbs.
    Nutrition facts for any recipe on thehintofrosemary are only an estimate and not guaranteed.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cardamom pistachio cupcakeCalories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 7gFat: 17.2gSaturated Fat: 9.75gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.6gCholesterol: 41mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 473IUCalcium: 75mgIron: 0.36mg
    Keyword 1hourcupcakes, arabiccupcakes, cardamomcupcakes, cardamompistachiocupcakes, cardamompistachiocupcakesrecipe, cupcakesin1hour, easycardamompistachiocupcakes, easydessertrecipein1hour, easypistachiocupcakes, middleeasterncupcakes, pistachiocardamomcupcakerecipe, pistachiocardamomcupcakes, pistachiocupcakes, pistachiocupcakesfromscratch, rosewaterfrosting
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rose

      October 25, 2022 at 5:22 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for all the tips about not over mixing the cupcake batter! These cupcakes turned out amazing!!

    2. Sam

      October 25, 2022 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      These have the most incredible flavor! You added just the right amount of cardamom and pistachio for an incredible not over powering flavor.

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    Hi, I'm Rosemary the registered dietitian behind The Hint of Rosemary! I created the Hint of Rosemary back in 2015 because I wanted to share my healthy recipes and teach that healthy eating is fun and delicious. I make your favorite desserts, drinks, and smoothie recipes with healthy ingredients that make you feel good while advocating mindful eating. Mindful eating is about not depriving yourself of the food you love!

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