Gluten Free Pistachio Raspberry Rose Cupcakes

As we continue shelter in place ordinances, I’ve been reminiscing about travel from last year, or even from the first two months of 2020. While it’s actually been quite fun to re-discover our own neighborhood and take time to just enjoy San Francisco and its many (way more than I thought) local parks, there’s something nebulous and intangibly lovely about international travel that, once you’ve tasted it, remains as an ache or a longing at the back of your head and your heart. If you’re fortunate enough to have had the chance to travel, even just a bit, beyond your national borders, may you treasure those memories and experiences forever. One of the more treasured places we’ve gone frequently is France, particularly Normandy, Paris, and Nice, as my boyfriend’s family and friends live all around the country. Paris in the spring, Paris in the summer, or the fall, even the winter has a magic about it.

One of the most delightful edible parts of each trip to the city of lights is a stop in Ladurée – maker of the finest macarons in the city. Each pair of little sandwiched disks of almond flour and egg whites is a feat of culinary skill and seems to disappear like the most elegant cloud when you take a bite. The rose, orange blossom water, and pistachio flavors are particular favorites. I had never considered rose to be one of my top flavors until indulging in these specific macarons, but now I’m hooked, and I’m determined to leave no stone unturned in the search for delicious floral baked goods. These gluten free pistachio raspberry rose cupcakes are no exception. I have not, as of yet, endeavored to make the actual macarons from scratch, though that’s next on the list, but these are still heavenly. I believe we owe this flavor combo more to the Persian influence – with delicate but nutty pistachio flour, hints of rose water, and the bright spring explosion of raspberry to tie it all together. These cupcakes do have the benefit of being significantly easier and faster to make than macarons, so if you’re craving this flavor combo and only have an hour, we’ve got you covered. If you have a bit more time, definitely try out our equally-as-easy but a bit more time-consuming recipe for the Pistachio Raspberry Rose Swiss Roll – a bit lighter with whipped cream instead of butter cream, and infinitely more impressive looking if you’re going for a crowd-pleaser.

So, in lieu of any upcoming international travel, here’s to going around the world with your taste buds, one pistachio raspberry rose cupcake at a time. If you have any incredible pistachio, or rose, or raspberry recipes or ideas, let us know! We’re always looking for inspiration or new ways of satisfying our sweet tooth. If you’re looking for more floral ideas, check out our rose gold financiers (another almond flour feat of the French), or our strawberry rose cheesecake tart with a pistachio crust.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Pistachio Raspberry Rose Cupcakes

Wonderfully floral, these cupcakes are moist with ground pistachios and topped with the most delicate raspberry rose buttercream

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time22 minutes mins

Cooling time15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: cupcakes, delicate, floral, gluten free, pistachio, raspberry, rose, rose raspberry, rose water, tea

Servings: 24 Cupcakes

Calories: 350kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Cupcake pans
• Food processor or NutriBullet

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 1 3/4 Cup packed finely ground raw, unsalted pistachios instructions below
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 Cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tsp rose water
• 3/4 Cup sour cream
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 1 Cup white sugar

For the buttercream:

• 3 Cups salted butter at room temperature
• 3-4 Cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tsp rose water
• 1/4 Cup powdered, sifted, freeze dried raspberries instructions below
• 2-3 tsp lemon juice
• pinch salt

Instructions

• First, preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit, and line two cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners. Then, grind the pistachios. I blitz the raw, unsalted pistachios in a nutribullet or food processor until they're finely ground. Blitz them up 1/2 cup at a time or they may turn into pistachio butter. Pack down the pistachio flour when you measure. Then, whisk the resulting pistachio flour with the gluten free 1-1 flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, then set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, canola oil, vanilla, rose water, sour cream, milk, and sugar, until smooth. Dump in the dry ingredients and stir everything together until combined. Then spoon batter into the lined cupcake pans. Each cupcake should be about 3/4 to nearly full. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
• While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting! In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the room temp butter and add in 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time. Then add in the rose water and lemon juice and salt and beat until smooth. Then, blitz up the freeze dried raspberries in a food processor or nutribullet until they're a fine powder. Sift the powder (to remove seeds) into the frosting (usually one package of freeze dried raspberries results in about 1/4 cup of powder). Beat in the powder until smooth, then scoop frosting into a piping back and frost cooled cupcakes!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber