Who doesn't LOVE cupcakes? We have been experimenting with cupcake recipes and the part that we found most challenging was finding a frosting recipe that mom approved of AND tasted good. Some of the buttercream frosting recipes call for 6 cups of powdered sugar... no thanks! So, we went to work researching and taste testing and here's what we found out. You can make GREAT cupcakes without even using flour. Both of the following recipes are for flourless vanilla cupcakes. I am posting two cupcake recipes and two frosting recipes because they are all great and give you more options in case you have allergies or prefer honey to sugar, etc...These are Paleo, gluten-free and Primal friendly cupcakes and frosting.
The best part is, these are something you can make as often as you like because the ingredients are healthy!
If you prefer flourless chocolate cupcakes, you can find the recipe here.
Cupcake Recipes
Cupcake Option 1
(I adapted this recipe from a Beyonddiet.com recipe for yellow cupcakes)
Ingredients:
5 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp Celtic or Himalayan salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (or 3/4 tsp baking soda and 3/4 tsp cream of tartar)
5 TBS coconut flour
1 - 16 ounce can white beans such as Northern or Canellini
3 TBS Rapadura (whole cane sugar) or raw honey
1/4 tsp stevia extract powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 TBS Spectrum Organic Shortening
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ᵒ F. Line a muffin tin with baking cups.
Drain and rinse beans.
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until well combined, being careful not to over blend.
Spoon batter into lined muffin cups. Fill to 3/4 full as cupcakes will rise.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
Let cool before frosting.
Cupcake Option 2
I found this one in a book that I highly recommend, called Indulge and Heal: 40 Nourishing Treats Without Grains, Dairy, Nuts or Refined Sugar.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
6 eggs, room temperature if possible
6 TBS raw honey or 3 TBS raw honey and 1/4 tsp stevia powder extract
6 TBS coconut oil or butter
2 TBS coconut milk or plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350ᵒ F. Line muffin tin with 8 baking cups.
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until well combined. Use mixer, starting with eggs and coconut flour if you do not own a blender. Spoon into muffin tin filling each about 3/4 full.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
Buttercream Frosting
(Also from Indulge and Heal which is full of great, healthy treats for the whole family)
Frosting Option 1
This first one is sweetened with honey.
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
6 TBS raw honey
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup or 8 TBS softened butter or coconut oil (we used butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Make a double broiler over a pot of gently simmering water. (Just place water in one pot, bring to a boil and turn the heat down to medium low. Add a smaller pot into the simmering water inside the larger pot.)
Add to pot (the one on top with no water in it) and whisk together egg whites, honey and salt until slightly fluffy and hot to the touch. (Mine didn't appear fluffy, I just kept whisking until they were nice and hot.)
The mixture should be about 140ᵒ F and will take about ten minutes.
Remove mixture from heat and add to a mixing bowl. Whip mixture until barely warm. ( I mixed it until it was totally cooled off and it still worked out fine!) Add the butter 1 TBS at a time and whip on high speed until the mixture appears to separate. Be patient, this really will happen at which point it is about to become amazingly firm and creamy buttercream frosting!
Use immediately or refrigerate. It will need some time to soften after being refrigerated before you frost the cupcakes.
Frosting Option 2
(This one came from a wedding cake maker and is our favorite, although it does contain a small amount of organic sugar. Here's where I found it.)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg white
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a double boiler over simmering water. Whisk occasionally until you can’t feel the sugar granules when you rub the mixture between your fingers.
Transfer mixture into the mixer and whip until it turns white and about
doubles in size. (Here’s a tip: when you transfer to the mixer, make sure you
wipe the condensation off the bottom of the bowl so that no water gets into the
egg whites. This can keep them from whipping up properly.)
Add the vanilla.
Finally, add the butter a stick at a time and whip, whip, whip.
Note from author: Do not have a panic attack when this takes a while to come together
(though I did every time). One super-large batch took 15 minutes, but it did and
will come together. Patience, young Jedis. ( I found this to be very true, but the second time I made it, it only took about 30 seconds to separate and get creamy again!)
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