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Rhubarb and pistachio cupcakes recipe

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These beautifully bright cupcakes make the most of stunning seasonal rhubarb. Adding a homemade rhubarb compote to the cake batter adds a delicious tartness that works wonderfully with the creamy icing – top with more fresh rhubarb purée and slivers of crunchy pistachios for a cupcake that's almost too pretty to eat. See method

Serves 12 (makes 12 cupcakes)
35 mins to prepare and 15 mins to cook, 30 mins to cool
363 calories / serving
Vegetarian

Ingredients

100g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
50g (2oz) ground almonds
70g (3oz) self-raising flour, sieved
1 small orange, zested

For the compote

300g (10oz) rhubarb, cut in to 2cm (1in) pieces
90g (3 1/2oz) caster sugar
1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthways

For the icing

60g unsalted butter at room temperature
250g icing sugar, sieved
125g (4oz) full fat soft cheese
40g (1 1/2oz) pistachio kernels, roughly chopped

No self-raising flour? Add 2 tsp baking powder for every 150g plain flour

Each serving contains

Energy
1520kj
363kcal 18%
Fat
19g 28%
Saturates
9g 47%
Sugars
39g 43%
Salt
0.2g 3%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 45.4g Protein 4.5g Fibre 1.3g

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
Begin by making the rhubarb compote. Place the rhubarb, sugar and vanilla in to a medium saucepan. Add 1 tbsp cold water and cook gently over a low heat. Increase the heat slightly and cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb has reduced slightly and has become syrupy. Take off the heat and allow to cool down completely. Remove the vanilla pod before serving.
Next, make the cupcake mixture. Using an electric mixer beat together the sugar and butter until lighter in colour and fuller in volume. Beat in the eggs a little at a time until well combined. Stir through the ground almonds, flour and orange zest.

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Fold 2 tbsp of the cooled rhubarb purée into the mixture. Don’t mix it in completely, so you are still able to see definite pockets of rhubarb. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, filling no more than 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean and the tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before icing.

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Next, make the icing. Rub the butter through the icing sugar with your fingers. Add the cheese and, using an electric whisk, mix for 3 minutes. Chill for a minimum of 10 minutes before using. Pipe or spread the icing on each cooled cupcake and then swirl over a teaspoon of the rhubarb compote. Sprinkle over the crushed pistachios and serve.