One of my favourite pastimes is to search out famous bakeries and salivate over their wares…
Jump to RecipeMagnolia Bakery in New York provided just the inspiration I was after this week when deciding on some birthday cupcakes for myself and Little Miss Green Foot.
The biggest challenge I find when striving to eat healthily, is to emulate the ‘glamour’ that sugar-and-fat-laden sweets exude.
I hope you enjoy my interpretation of these purely elegant and luxurious cupcakes.
Recipe makes 24.
Cupcake Ingredients:
3 ¼ cups of unbleached plain or spelt flour
3/4 cup unsalted organic butter, softened (coconut butter works well too)
2 ½ cups rapadura sugar – ground to a castor sugar consistency
3 large organic eggs, at room temperature
4 x bottles Hoppers ‘Cherry Red’ natural food coloring
3 tbsp raw cacao or cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups organic full cream milk
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
Method:
1. In a small bowl whisk together the Hoppers’s red food colouring, cacoa powder and vanilla extract. Set aside.
2. In another small bowl, stir the salt into the milk. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, sift the spelt flour and set aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy – careful not to over mix.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in after adding. Add to the batter and beat well.
6. Add the cacao and colouring mix to the batter, mixing in gently until combined.
7. Add to the batter in three parts, the salt and milk solution alternating with the flour. With each addition, gently stir until the ingredients are combined but don’t over mix. but do not overbeat.
8. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
9. Divide the batter among some greased and lined patty cake tins. Bake for around 20 mins or until your tester comes out clean.
10. Cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack before icing.
Vanilla Butter Cream Icing:
1 x cup unsalted organic butter – very soft
8 x loose cups organic icing sugar, or 5 x cups of rapadura sugar, ground to icing sugar consistency
1/2 cup organic milk
2 x teaspoons organic vanilla extract
Method:
Combine butter, sugar, mix to combine. Then, mix in with a fork the vanilla and milk. Keep whisking until smooth. Apply using a piping bag, or smooth on with a small teaspoon. Icing will set when refrigerated so to keep soft store at room temperature.
* for a dairy free version, use oat, rice, almond or soy milk. Coconut butter can be used instead of the unsalted butter.
Glamorously Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes
Course: DessertCuisine: American24
servings20
minutes20
minutesThese moist, naturally coloured red velvet cupcakes are made with spelt or plain flour and sweetened with rapadura sugar for a wholesome twist. Topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream, they’re perfect for any celebration.
Ingredients
- Cupcake Ingredients:
3 ¼ cups of unbleached plain or spelt flour
3/4 cup unsalted organic butter, softened (coconut butter works well too)
2 ½ cups rapadura sugar – ground to a castor sugar consistency
3 large organic eggs, at room temperature
4 x bottles Hoppers ‘Cherry Red’ natural food coloring
3 tbsp raw cacao or cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups organic full cream milk
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
- Vanilla Buttercream
1 cup unsalted organic butter, very soft
8 cups organic icing sugar (or 5 cups rapadura sugar, ground fine)
½ cup organic milk
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line cupcake tins with paper cases.
- In a small bowl, whisk food colouring, cacao, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In another bowl, stir salt into milk. Set aside.
- Sift flour into a bowl.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
- Mix in the colouring blend gently.
- Add flour and milk mixtures to the batter in three parts, alternating, and mix gently. Do not overmix.
- Combine vinegar and bi-carb soda in a small bowl. Stir into batter until smooth.
- Divide batter among cupcake cases. Bake 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- For the Buttercream:
- Beat butter and sugar until combined.
- Add vanilla and milk; whisk until smooth.
- Frost cooled cupcakes using a piping bag or spoon.
Recipe Video
Notes
- For dairy-free cupcakes, use plant-based milk and coconut butter
- Store frosted cupcakes at room temperature for soft icing.
Photo by Yulia Khlebnikova on Unsplash