Nougat Cupcakes
Nougat Cupcakes! Is there anything better than bitting into something chewy, yet soft and delicate, with spices, crispy nuts and chewy tart fruits? Thatโs basically what these cupcakes are inspired by!
Pistachio and cranberry vanilla cupcakes, filled with soft nougat, topped with nougat buttercream frosting.

Nougat Cupcakes
Pistachio and cranberry vanilla cupcakes, filled with soft nougat, topped with nougat buttercream frosting.
Serves 20
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 3 1/2 cups / 430 g plain flour, all-purpose
- 1 1/4 cups / 265 g caster sugar, superfine
- 3 tsp / 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp / 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup / 125 g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large / 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml full-cream milk, whole
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp / 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt, or sour cream
- 1 tsp / 1 tsp vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste
- 150 g / 150 g chopped pistachios
- 150 g / 150 g dried cranberries
Frosting
- 2 batches / 2 batches swiss meringue buttercream frosting
- 4 tbsp / 4 tbsp orange blossom honey
- 1 tsp / 1 tsp almond extract
Nougat
- 1/4 cup / 150 g pistachios
- 1/4 cup / 150 g dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup / 160 g granulated sugar
- 15 g / 15 g liquid glucose
- 1/4 cup / 70 ml water
- 1 / 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup / 150 g orange blossom honey
Crumb Coating
- 20 / 20 maraschino cherries
- 1/2 cup / 200 g chopped pistachios
Decorations
- 1/2 cup / 200 g dried cranberries
Instructions
Nougat
- Add the sugar, glucose and water in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer until it reaches 50C on a sugar thermometer.
- While thatโs happening, add the honey in a separate saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue simmering until it reaches 120C.
- Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to soft peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer. When the honey has reached the correct temperature, slowly pour the honey into the egg whites while the mixer is on high speed. Repeat with the sugar syrup once itโs reached the correct temperature.
- Continue beating for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and glossy.
- Fold in the pistachios and cranberries. Place in a large piping bag and set aside.
Cupcakes
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 140ยฐC (275ยฐF) or a conventional oven to 160ยฐC (320ยฐF). Line two cupcake tins with the cupcake liners.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until well combined.
- Next, add the softened butter and mix on low speed until the mixture reaches a crumbly, sand-like texture.
- Add the eggs, milk, oil, yoghurt and vanilla, and mix on low speed until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl, add the pistachios and cranberries and fold into the batter using a spatula.
- Fill each liner three-quarters of the way. Using an ice-cream scoop to transfer the batter to the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process, and ensures each liner contains exactly the same amount of batter and that the cupcakes will bake evenly. Bake for 40โ50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- To prepare the frosting add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- To prepare the crumb coating, add the pistachios and cranberries into a mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- Core the centre of each cupcake using an apple corer and fill with nougat filling.
- Fit the end of a piping bag with a large round tip and frost a large bulb of buttercream. Coat in the crumb coating.
- Fit the end of a piping bag with a Wilton 6b piping tip and frost a swirl of frosting on top of the coated frosting. Finish with a maraschino cherry.
Notes
Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Nutrition
Serving: 20g
Calories : 336kcal
Carbonhydrates: 50g
Protein: 5g
Fat: 15g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat : 0.1g
Trans Fat : 0.1g
Cholesterol: 31mg
Sodium: 144mg
Potassium : 120mg
Fiber: 3g
Sugar : 27g
Vitamin A: 200IU
Vitamin C: 1mg
Calcium: 63mg
Iron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!
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2 comments
If I’m reading this correctly, you only heat the sugar mixture to 50C (122F)? That’s a LOT lower than any other nougat recipe I’ve seen. Am I misunderstanding something?
I’m wondering if “Continue simmering until it reaches 120C.” means the sugar mixture, not the honey?
Nope, that’s right! The temp is lower because the recipe is not designed to set as hard as actual nougat. It’s designed to be softer so it can be used the way it is in the recipe ๐ But that’s a great question! N x