Aunt Sassy Cupcakes

My enduring obsession with the Baked series of cookbook continues again, here on Stitch in the Sea. I don't usually consider myself to have an addictive personality, but I may be proving myself wrong with these books. I'm also apparently addicted to nuts (and, if you want to get technical, legumes, which is what peanuts truly are), and so, if you happen to be allergic to nuts, I apologize profusely.

But I just had to make these cupcakes for Easter dinner. My intention, of course, was to make a cake, which is what the original recipe from Baked Explorations was for; however, the dinner party hostess (my mom. Hi Mom!) suggested that instead I should make mini-cupcakes for easier display/consumption/general dinner-partiness. So that's why I did.

Aunt Sassy Cake: Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream

Adapted from Baked Explorations
Makes many dozens of mini-cupcakes

Pistachio Cake

Ingredients 
   1 cup shelled pistachios
   2 1/2 cups cake flour
   3/4 cup all-purpose flour
   1 tablespoon baking powder
   1 tsp baking soda
   3/4 tsp salt
   8 tablespoons butter, softened
   1/2 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
   1 3/4 cups sugar
   1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
   1 large egg
   1 1/2 cups ice water (don’t prepare until the recipe calls for it–should be very cold)
   3 large egg whites, at room temperature
   1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pistachios until they are coarsely chopped. Transfer about 2 tablespoons of the coarsely chopped pistachios to a large bowl, which you’ll use to make your flour mixture. Pulse the rest of the pistachios until they are nearly a powder–not as fine as flour, but nearly there. Stir the pistachio powder into the coarse pistachios. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the large bowl containing the pistachio mix, stir to combine, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (using your paddle attachment), beat butter and shortening on medium until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla; beat until fluffy, 3 minutes. Scrape down, add the whole egg, and beat until just combined.
4. Prepare 1 1/2 cups ice water now. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the ice water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. For each addition up the mixture temporarily from low to medium speed for a couple of seconds, until incorporated.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat! Fold the egg whites into the batter.
6. Fill each cake pan about half-full with batter. Bake mini-cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let layers cool for 10 minutes on wire racks, then remove from pans to cool completely.

Honey Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients 
   1 1/2 cups sugar
   1/3 cup all-purpose flour
   1 1/2 cups whole milk
   1/3 cup heavy cream
   3 sticks unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
   1 tsp pure vanilla extract
   3 tablespoons local honey

Directions 

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture boils and has thickened. This took me about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat (paddle attachment) on high speed for 7-9 minutes until mixture has completely cooled. Reduce to low, add the butter pieces, then mix thoroughly until well incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add the vanilla and honey, mixing until just combined. If it seems too soft, the frosting can be refrigerated. If too firm, heat over a double boiler and beat with a wooden spoon until it softens.
4. Frost cupcakes