Strawberry Cupcakes

At the request of my youngest, I baked Strawberry Cupcakes for him to take to daycare. These are about as healthy as you can get, low fat, low sugar and most important tasty!

Ingredients:
2 c flour (I used 1/2 reg & 1/2 whole wheat)
1/2 c sugar (coconuts palm sugar)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 1/2 c diced strawberries
1/4 c canola or coconut oil
1 c milk
2 tsp vanilla

Frosting:
8 oz low fat cream cheese
1/2 – 1 c powdered sugar
1/4 c strawberries

Preheat over to 350. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Whisk together dry ingredient. Whisk together wet ingredients. Combine. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 way. Bake for 18 – 22 minutes – when tester comes out clean.

Combine frosting ingredients in a food processor, process until combined and smooth. I only use about a 1/2 c sugar, add more to taste.

Makes about 18 cupcakes.

Advertisement

Coconut Cupcakes

I love coconut and cupcakes! This recipe is adapted from a recipe on the William-Sonoma website. I replaced the sugar for coconut palm sugar and the butter with coconut palm oil to make these the ultimate coconuts cupcakes!

For the cupcakes:
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c coconut palm sugar
1/2 c coconut oil
3 large eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c coconut milk
1 c sweetened dried coconut flakes

Frosting
1/2 c sweetened dried coconut flakes, toasted
4 oz cream cheese, spftened
2 TBSP Coconut Oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 confectioners’ sugar

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the sugar and coconut oil until the mixture is light in texture, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with the coconut milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping down the bowl as needed, beating just until smooth.

In another bowl, using the mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir one-fourth of the whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites, leaving some whites visible. Gently fold in the coconut flakes. Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups, filling them about three-fourths full.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out of the pan onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Leave the oven on.

To make the frosting, spread the coconut flakes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

In a bowl, using the mixer on low speed, beat together the cream cheese, coconut oil and vanilla. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until the icing is smooth. Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes, dividing it equally. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut, then serve.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Spiced Apple Cupcakes

Nothing says fall like apple spiced cake cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting! These are a healthy version. I swapped out melted butter for apple sauce and used coconut palm and day sugar. They taste just as good but with all the processed sugar and fat.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 c apple sauce
1/4 c canola oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar (coconut palm sugar)
1/3 cup sugar (date sugar)
1/4 c sour cream, fat free
1 TBSP vanilla
1 and 1/2 c flour (3/4 whole wheat & 3/4 regular)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
3 small apples, chopped into fine pieces

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin pan with baking cups. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple sauce, oil, sugars, sour cream and vanilla until completely smooth. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Slowly add the wet ingredients and stir until JUST combined. Do not overmix. Slowly mix in the apples.

Fill each baking cup about 2/3 full and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool and frost.

Frosting:
8 oz low far cream cheese
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine in a food processor and frost cupcakes.

Caramel Cupcakes

I love caramel and sometime I forgo low-fat and healthy for something not so healthy but super yummy!! I did use palm sugar in place of brown.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c palm sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
2 eggs at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c milk

Carmel Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c heavy cream
1 package reduced fat cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake pan.

Whisk flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat to combine. Add 1/3 flour, 1/3 milk, combine and repeat.

Divide into cupcake pan, filling about 2/3 way. Bake 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack completely

In a heavy bottomed pan cook sugar over medium-high heat until it begins to melt around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stirring with a wooden spoon until melted about 3 minutes.

Carefully pour in cream and stir constantly until smooth. Stir in salt. Pour into a heat proof container and cool completely.

In a small food processor, combine cream cheese and caramel.

Ice cupcakes.
Keep in fridge and bring to room temp before eating.

Makes about 14 cupcakes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Nothing says fall like pumpkin pie spice!! So to celebrate fall I whipped up a batch of these yummy pumpkin cupcakes. The freeze great and then you can have cupcakes on demand. This recipe is adapted from Bon Appétit, Oct 2010. Personally I think my low fat & reduced sugar version of these cupcakes taste great.

1 c whole wheat flour
1 1/3 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
1/3 c brown sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
1/2 c canned pure pumpkin
1/3 c apple sauce
1/3 c fat free sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 8-ounce light cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c powdered sugar

Special Equipment: Mini muffin pans 13/4×1-inch paper liners

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 mini muffin cups with 1 3/4x 1-inch paper liners. Mix flour, golden brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl. Whisk egg, canned pure pumpkin, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract in medium bowl. Add mixture to dry ingredients; stir to fully combine. Spoon batter into paper liners (batter will almost filled). Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely on rack. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in powdered sugar.

Frost cupcakes.

24 servings
3 WW PP per cupcake.