Pistachio Cake Cupcakes with Rosemary and a Cherry Glaze

Seeing some leftover crumbs of this pistachio cake cupcake on a party napkin, one would think that it was a simple yellow cake.  Unlike most of the pistachio cake recipes that you will find with a quick Google search for "pistachio cake recipes", this cake isn't green - there is no green food coloring and no instant pudding.  Interestingly, this pistachio cake recipe doesn't use any pistachios (except on top for decoration).   All of the pistachio flavor in the cake comes from pistachio oil. 

Using pistachio oil gives these pistachio cake cupcakes an intense pistachio flavor (think pistachio ice cream) without adding crunch.  If you like crunch, you could always throw some nuts into the batter.

Rosemary, You Say?

Rosemary is typically found in more savory baked goods, such as focaccia bread.  But, it worked like a cupcake charm with the pistachio cake.  It made the cake taste woodsy like something Hansel and Gretel would have enjoyed in the forest after they grew up and developed more refined palates.  I wish I could take credit for the flavor combination idea, but full accolades go out to The Flavor Bible (more on that book in an upcoming post).

And The Cherry Glaze?

The cherry glaze mostly serves to add a pretty pink top to the cupcake.  The cherry flavor is not particularly detectable, but if you love sugar glazes like I do, this is a nice one to add to your arsenal.

Pistachio Oil - Baking With Nut Oils

Pistachio oil is hardly a common pantry staple.  The wall of oils at my local Whole Foods doesn't contain a single bottle of pistachio oil.  I had to track down a bottle of this green gem - and it was worth the effort and the hefty price tag.  While there are many ways to give baked goods a nutty flavor, nut oil - like pistachio oil - may be my new favorite.  But, let's take a look at all of the options: