Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds Red Velvet Cupcakes With Coconut Frosting!

Soma Das
Sep 23, 2021
2 min read

I am making cupcakes to celebrate the first anniversary of my food Instagram account. So happy today that I'm making a batch of healthier cupcakes today! It's my favorite cupcakes - red velvet but the healthier one. It has less sugar, cranberry, and toasted pumpkin seeds as we all know that pumpkin seeds are a superfood and good for health. I also used less sugar so that I could have two instead of one every day :). Cupcakes are nothing without frosting, so used coconut cream cheese frosting instead of butter icing to make it healthier. My husband loves coconut. That's why I have made coconut frosting today!

Prep Time: 30 mins

Baking Time: 25 Mins

Serving: 15 pieces

Ingredients:

For Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)

1 cup sugar (200 grams) (if you like more sweet could add 1/4 cup extra)

1 cup butter room temperature

4 Eggs

4 tablespoons Milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

2 tablespoons toasted Pumpkin seeds(store-bought)

2 tablespoons dried cranberry chopped

A few drops Red food coloring

Not adding any salt as Pumpkin seeds have salt (You could add 1/2 teaspoon salt if they do not have salt).

For Frosting:

2 packages of cream cheese (16 ounces)

1 teaspoon of coconut extract

1 cup powder sugar

1/8 cup of dry coconut powder

Sprinkle:

1 tablespoon red sugar crystals (store-bought)

1 tablespoon powder coconut

Methods:

preheat oven at 350 degrees F
In a stand mixer or a mixing bowl, Take the room temperature butter and sugar and mix them until softened.
Add eggs and mix them.
Scrape the side of the bowl with a spatula.
Add milk and vanilla extract.
Then add flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder and mix together.
Next, add the food coloring.

Then add the chopped cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
Give a good stir and combine everything together.

Take cupcakes molds and put liners inside them.
Pour the batter into the liners with a spoon or with an ice cream scoop. Fill only 3/4 th to avoid spilling over the sides.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool down completely then add the frosting.
Now let's make the frosting.
In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and soften it with an electric mixer.
when cheese is softened, add powder sugar, coconut extract, and coconut powder.
Mix everything well.