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Milk/Cream

Dom DeLuise Cupcakes

by:
October 13, 2013
3.7
3 Ratings
Photo by Eric Isaac
  • Makes 12 cupcakes
Author Notes

The Dom DeLuise is our cannoli-inspired cupcake, which was really a “must” for us for reasons beyond the fact that we’re from southwest Brooklyn. In the weeks after we first met, I told myself the reason I thought about Matt a thousand times a day was because for the first time ever, I had a friend who was as obsessed with food as I was. It absolutely wasn’t because we were both madly in love with each other, as every person who knew both of us had already figured out. I’m not that smart. Sue me. One day I learned we were both off from work and decided to go out and buy him a bunch of my favorite foods “just because.” I showed up at his house with a huge bag of antipasto, a pan of chicken parmigiana, and a box of my favorite dessert—cannoli. We ate nearly everything I brought while hanging out on the couch and watching old episodes of Full House. (How in God’s name did I not realize I was in love with this guy? Al, you are so, so stupid.) While I was oblivious, Matt wasn’t. I’ll let him tell you the next part.

Reprinted by arrangement with VIKING STUDIO, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © ALLISON AND MATT ROBICELLI, 2013. —Allison Robicelli

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Ingredients
  • Pistachio Cake
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup shelled raw pistachios
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Cannoli Buttercream // Toppings
  • 1 recipe French Buttercream or American Frosting
  • 1 cup ricotta, strained and pressed
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, roasted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup candied citron or orange zest, finely diced (optional)
Directions
  1. Pistachio Cake
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 baking cups.
  3. Place the sugar and pistachios in a food processor and process until the pistachios are finely ground. Set aside.
  4. Melt the butter in a microwave at 60% power for 1½ to 2 minutes. Keep the butter warm; do not allow it to sit and cool off.
  5. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and egg whites on medium-low speed for 2 minutes until lightly foamy.
  6. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Pour the warm butter into the eggs slowly, so that the mixture tempers and the eggs do not scramble. Once the butter is added, reduce the speed to medium-low.
  7. With the mixer running, add the milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix for 1 minute until well combined.
  8. Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir into the pistachio mixture. Add to the batter. Mix on medium until just combined, about 30 seconds. Remove the bowl and paddle from the mixer and use the paddle to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, ensuring that everything is well mixed.
  9. Scoop the batter into the prepared baking cups, filling them two thirds of the way.
  10. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cupcakes are done when the centers spring back when you touch them.
  11. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let cool completely.
  1. Cannoli Buttercream // Toppings
  2. French Buttercream (recommended): Prepare the buttercream, add the pressed ricotta and vanilla until fully incorporated.
  3. For American Frosting: Prepare the recipe as directed, only replacing mascarpone with the pressed ricotta, add the vanilla and beat well.
  4. Assembly: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain or fluted tip with cannoli buttercream and pipe onto each pistachio cupcake. Mix the chocolate chips, roasted pistachios, and candied citrus, if using, in a bowl and sprinkle on top of the cupcakes.
  5. Half-Assed Corner: Skip the citron if you can’t find it -- which, odds are, you won’t be able to unless you live close to an Italian or Middle Eastern specialty store. It’s not a make-or-break ingredient.
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Allison Robicelli is a James Beard-nominated food writer, a Publisher's Weekly-starred author, and lots of other fun things. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she currently lives with her two sons and four cats in Baltimore, Maryland.

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5 Reviews

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Steve March 29, 2015
Made them, and probably will NOT make them again.

1. This is an overly FUSSY recipe for a cupcake. This is not the standard cream butter and sugar, and then add eggs recipe. Very high egg ration, which results in a spongy texture. This should probably need to be re-worked.

2. Resulting cake is pretty bland, in comparison with the frosting. You almost don't taste the pistachios at all.

3. You don't SCOUP the batter your POUR it, very wet, just an FYI.

4. Yield: Normally when I do cupcakes, I do the mini ones. The average dozen regular sized recipe yields about 36 minis. I stopped at 48, and dumped the rest, since I did not want more. I could have probably have gotten another dozen minis out of this. I wonder how many full-sized this recipe yields.

5. Since there are no directions on how STRAINED and SQUEEZED the ricotta needs to be, I winged it. Luckily I had a few yards of butter muslin in the drawer (I am sure all of you have this on hand). I am concerned that when the buttercream sets, the remaining moisture will cause the buttercream to "weep". Will see what happens tomorrow.

6. French buttercream, how much, who knows? I made 3-sticks of butter worth of it. The leftovers would have easily covered the remaining cupcakes that went down the drain.

7. I would try marscapone, as ricotta added NO flavor, just texture.

8. Orange zest, NO don't do that!!!! Use the candied peel, or forget it. Zest is way to bitter, add that to the pistachios and the chips, did NOT make for a nice taste.

9. Better yet, add orange flavoring to the butter cream, and dip the cupcakes into the mini chips to give then a true cannoli look, and taste.

Final notes. I liked the "idea" of these, but would probably make vanilla cupcakes with chopped candied orange-peel and chopped pistachios, a do the other tweeks.
Steve March 29, 2015
A link to a recipe for French Buttercream would have been helpful, along with the quantity needed to actually complete the recipe!
Jeannette T. November 17, 2013
OMG! I have this book and not only do I want to make these but all of the cupcakes!! Love the writing too, very funny!
monacake October 23, 2013
love love love these (as my grandfather would have). they pay proper respect to cannolis, but are in a category all their own. the cakes are moist and perfumed by the pistachios while the frosting is silken and chunky and heavenly (all at the same time). thanks so much for sharing this allison.
Connie October 16, 2013
This recipe sounds and looks outstanding! What a great finish for a Christmas Eve dinner! I want this book