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1
Preheat oven to 350u00b0F and put liners in a mini muffin pan.
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2
Whisk together all the dry ingredients and set aside.
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3
In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together oil, sugar, and lemon zest together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time.
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4
Slowly mix in dry ingredients until dry ingredients are no longer visible. Careful not to over mix. Gently fold in zucchini, buttermilk, and lemon juice.
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5
Divide batter into the mini cupcake pan and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool for 10-15 minutes before removing them from the pan.
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6
For the buttercream frosting:
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7
Chop up the pistachios in a food processor. You want pretty finely chopped nuts here so you can still pipe the frosting without clogging the tip.
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8
Set a frying pan over medium heat. Add pistachios and stir occasionally until they start to smell delicious, or until they barely start to brown. Set aside to cool.
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9
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter for several minutes until fluffy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and honey. Beat well. Add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, lemon extract, and salt. Beat well.
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10
Add the chopped pistachios when they are completely cooled and beat briefly until incorporated. Try not to eat all the frosting, since we still need some for the cupcakes.
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11
Pipe frosting onto cupcakes when cool. Sample often.
