Kitchen Adventures || Cleaned up Strawberry Cupcakes
I know it seems like I have a major sweet tooth right now. I’ve been posting all these desserts and treats and it seems like I’ve gone into overdrive with the sweets, but I promise we’re still eating our veggies 😉
Baking is something that has always intimidated me. As bad as I used to be at cooking, I was even worse at baking. It’s wild because baking really is like a science. Measurements must be exact. Where I’ve run into the most trouble with baking is the actual temperature of my oven. It seems like even if I follow a recipe to a T it always seems to over bake in my oven. I’ve come to understand that so whenever I put something in the oven, I stay on the shorter side and just “snooze” the timer for a little longer if needed.
I would love to get more into baking. I have always loved the idea of it. But, I would love to get into baking in a way that doesn’t introduce all the extra sugars into my diet. That’s why I tried my hand at a SUGAR FREE, GLUTEN FREE, LOW CARB cake. You heard me. Now, those of you who don’t handle dairy well…. unfortunately the icing won’t work for you, but otherwise, this is a very clean dessert.
My second try, I made it as cupcakes which actually turned out a little better. I’m presenting you with that recipe, but you can absolutely do this in a 9×9 glass dish as a cake.
Not only is this clean, it’s healthy and way easier than I thought it would be. It’s a perfect, light and fresh dessert for the summer! I’d love to hear from you if you make it!
INGEDIENTS
For the cake:
1/4 C almond flour
1/4 C coconut flour
1/4 flax meal
2/3 cup Swerve sweetener (this is a relatively new product, but I’m a believer y’all. It doesn’t have a weird aftertaste at all and it measures CUP FOR CUP like sugar)
1/3 cup protein powder of your choice (I used SFH Fuel in both strawberry and coconut… delicious – and we carry it in the front office)
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt
1/3 C melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1.5 C fresh strawberries (roughly chopped – you’re going to puree them)
For the Frosting:
8oz Cream Cheese – softened
1/4 C heaving whipping cream
2 TBSP Swerve
1 tsp Vanilla
To Top:
Fresh Strawberries – washed and sliced
Fresh Blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake tin with liners (or grease a 9×9 pan)
For the cake(s) – While the oven preheats, mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a blender or a food processor, blend the strawberries until pureed and then add the puree to the dry ingredients.
Add the melted coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs to the mixture and mix well until combined. Transfer the batter to your cups or dish. Be careful not to overfill the cupcakes.
Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the top center of the cake is cooked. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting – With a hand beater, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the heavy whipping cream, swerve, and vanilla and continue to beat until it becomes thick and fluffy (1-2 minutes). Once your cupcakes (cake) has cooled completely, frost and top with fresh berries!
This was another recipe I made for my mom’s birthday so she could enjoy a treat, but we liked it so much we took this to a potluck party too!