Vanilla Cupcake with Pistachio Cream & Candied Violet
Based on a vegan vanilla cupcake recipe online, originally from the book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, I used low-fat milk for soy milk as well as Splenda for sugar. So, these cakes were not "vegan" but no egg, no butter, no sugar added. They were moist and light. I didn't feel missing anything.
For the pistachio cream, I used my new Sicilian pistachio spread from Williams-Sonoma. The pistachio spread was rich, milky and properly sweetened, so I lighten it up with some whipped cream without adding any sweeteners. The result was sweet nutty light cream - perfect for the vanilla cupcakes. Topped with candied purple violet, my delicious vegetarian cupcakes became lovely early spring desserts.
