Servings: 12 cupcakes
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Cupcake liners (gold preferred)
- Mixing bowls
- Hand or stand mixer
- Piping bag with star tip
- Tweezers (for gold leaf application)
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup plain yogurt room temperature
- ⅓-½ cup whole milk room temperature (including saffron milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10-12 strands saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk for 10 minutes
For the frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pinch saffron strands soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk for 10 minutes (cooled)
- Edible gold leaf for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a 12-cup muffin tin with gold cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in yogurt until smooth. Stir in the milk, vanilla, and saffron milk until well combined.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly among liners and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- For frosting, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then mix in vanilla, cooled saffron milk, and enough cream to achieve a smooth, pipeable consistency.
- Pipe swirls of frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with delicate pieces of edible gold leaf just before serving.
Notes
- Reduce milk slightly if the batter feels too thin after adding saffron milk.
- Always cool saffron milk before mixing it into the frosting so buttercream doesn’t melt.
- Handle gold leaf gently with tweezers as it tears easily and sticks to fingers.
- These cupcakes are best enjoyed the day they’re made, as saffron flavor fades with time.
Nutrition
Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 771IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg
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