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Sweet and tangy cupcakes with pickle juice in the batter and chopped dill pickles folded in, topped with creamy dill-infused frosting and garnished with pickle slices or fresh dill sprigs.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for tossing pickles
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 3 tablespoons pickle juice (adjustable to taste)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles, patted dry
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (for frosting, adjust to taste)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for frosting)
  • 1–2 teaspoons dried dill weed or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill (for frosting)
  • Green food coloring (optional, a few drops)
  • Fresh dill sprigs (for garnish)
  • Pickle slices (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
  3. Cream softened butter and granulated sugar together in a separate bowl until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating until fully incorporated.
  5. Stir in sour cream and pickle juice into the wet mixture until smooth.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined; avoid overmixing.
  7. Finely chop dill pickles, pat them dry, and toss with about 1 tablespoon flour to help keep them suspended in the batter.
  8. Gently fold the floured chopped pickles into the batter.
  9. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spoon batter into each cup about two-thirds full.
  10. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  11. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
  12. To make the frosting, beat butter and powdered sugar together until fluffy and smooth.
  13. Add pickle juice a teaspoon at a time to the frosting until desired tang and consistency is reached, then mix in dried or fresh dill.
  14. Optionally, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix to tint the frosting.
  15. Fit a piping bag with a star tip and pipe swirls of frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
  16. Top each cupcake with a pickle slice or a fresh dill sprig for garnish.

Notes

For best results, use room-temperature eggs and sour cream to ensure a smooth batter., Finely chop and thoroughly dry pickles to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes., Avoid overmixing the batter to keep cupcakes tender and soft., Try different pickle types such as sweet or bread-and-butter for milder flavor, cornichons for sharpness., To reduce tang, decrease pickle juice and dilute with water., A cream cheese-based frosting can be made by mixing cream cheese with butter, powdered sugar, and pickle juice for a richer alternative., Use gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free versions, handling batter gently due to delicacy., For vegan adaptations, use vegan butter, flax eggs, and dairy-free yogurt, noting texture differences., Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving to enhance flavor and soften frosting., Cupcakes freeze well; wrap unfrosted cupcakes tightly for up to 3 months and frost after thawing., Adjust sugar levels to make cupcakes less sweet, but do so gradually to maintain texture and rise.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/tangy-dill-pickle-cupcakes-with-herby-frosting-emmas-cake-studio/