Strawberry Cupcakes The Healthy Way

Healthy Strawberry Cupcakes

with Healthy "Buttercream" Frosting

Wonderful test trial results yesterday for a delicious healthy, high protein, low carb, no refined flour or sugar strawberry cupcake.  I worked on it all day with a few tweaks to my healthy no sugar buttercream frosting to go with it.  See the recipes below!

Being a cake decorator, I still hold the constant pull to make these healthy cupcakes with design and color while still staying true to the low sugar aspect.  So I have decided to practice decorating them with colorful liners and tiny PUSH MOLDS made especially for the smaller cuppies that fit so well in the Babycakes cupcake machine.  I am going to come out with my own line of decorative petite push molds soon that will fit perfectly with these tiny bites of delight! This will allow everyone to simply put a tiny bit of fondant or my healthy cream cheese recipe in a shallow mold and release for an easy breezy cupcake topper.   BUT first, I have to get the new cookbook up and running....just waiting for some last minute copy editing and it will be available soon. Get ready to nourish your body with intention and color!!  

Strawberry Cupcakes

adapted from Elana Amsterdam's "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook"

2 large organic eggs

1/4 C grapeseed oil

1/2 C (minus 1 T) raw organic agave nectar

2 T Polaner All Fruit Spread, strawberry flavor

1 T pure vanilla extract or the inside of one vanilla bean

1T freshly squeezed lemon juice

10 drops of strawberry LorAnn candy flavoring

4 chopped fresh strawberries

2 1/2 C blanched almond flour

1/2 t baking soda

Combine all wet ingredients, except fresh strawberries, in a mixing bowl, mix gently with a hand mixer.  Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, mix into wet ingredients slowly to combine.  Fold in strawberry pieces.  Batter will be thick and easy to spoon into cupcake liners.  

For the tiny cuppie liners, perfect for the Babycakes Cupcake Machine, 1 T batter works perfectly.  I bake them in the machine for exactly 6 minutes.  For the oven, bake at 350 for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until slightly brown on top and test stick comes out dry.  For larger cupcake liners, 2 T batter and bake at 350 for approximately 18-20 minutes. 

Healthy "Buttercream" Frosting

1/2 C (1 stick) Spectrum  or Earth Balance all vegetable vegan shortening

1/2 C (1 stick) organic butter 

3/4 C of  organic raw agave nectar

1/4 - 1/2 C organic dry skim milk

2 packs dry Stevia

1/2 t meringue or egg white powder

1 T vanilla extract (or other)

Beat with hand mixer and chill for about  2 hrs to stiffen, add more dry milk if it needs a touch more stiffener.  

Spread or pipe through a piping bag.

I put in 10 drops of LorAnn strawberry oil flavoring and a t of lemon extract for this recipe.