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.
Use your favorite piping tip and pipe the frosting on top.
Sprinkle red sugar crystals and coconut powder on the top as garnish.
