Low Fat Cupcakes – Tasty & Guilt Free Vanilla Cupcakes
If you want low fat cupcakes that will tempt your taste buds without damaging your waist line, try these guilt free American Vanilla cupcakes with snow meringue frosting.
We’re sure you’ll agree there is very little that beats the classic taste of a vanilla cupcake. Unless, of course, that cupcake happens to be virtually fat-free with a sneaky vegetable hidden inside. These low fat cupcakes are a perfect combination of guilt-free goodness and full-on cupcake indulgence. I promise the courgette is so well hidden; you’ll be able to get the most adamant veggie-phobe to eat their greens. Plus, even the strictest of dieters will agree to eat your cupcake creations. Sound too good to be true?
This recipe is taken from Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache: The ultimate feel-good book of natural cakes that taste naughty
In this recipe the courgette also adds potassium and vitamin-A to the cupcakes. All the recipes show you how enjoying your favourite sweet treat just got a little sweeter (and actually good for you!)
For the cakes:
- 2 Medium Free-range eggs
- 160g caster sugar
- 300g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgette
- 180g white rice flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (Handy Tip – Really heap your spoonful for more rise in your cakes!)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
You will need:
- 12-hole muffin tray (50mm)
- Whisk
- Grater (with a fine grate option)
For the Snow Meringue Frosting – (Makes enough for 12 cupcakes or 1 whole cake)
Add mixture to cases
- 170g icing sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tatar
- White of 1 medium free-range egg
- Small pinch of salt
You will need:
- A hand-held electric whisk
- A Timer (This is very important!)
The Recipe:
- Preheat your oven to 180degress/Gas Mark 4 and get your paper cases placed ready in your 12-hole muffin tin.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and light. The mixture is at its best when it leaves a ribbon like trail when you lift the whisk from the bowl.
- Add the finely-grated courgette and briefly whisk to incorporate.
- Sprinkle over half the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk thoroughly for around 20 seconds. Add the remaining flour and vanilla extract and whisk one final time until the mixture looks well-combined.
- Spoon the mixture into your paper cases until they’re around four fifths full and place in the middle of the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until slightly golden and springy to touch.
- Remove from the oven and allow your American sweethearts to cool for 10 minutes.
Harry’s ‘Trust Me Tip’ in the book informs me that I shouldn’t be afraid if my mixture looks runnier than my usual raw cupcake mix. The lack of fat in the sponge means that it will feel looser than normal.
Snow Meringue Frosting
TIP: Start making your Snow Meringue icing towards the end of the cupcakes’ baking time to avoid it hardening before your cakes are cool.
When I first looked at this recipe I thought the precise timings could be played around with, I was wrong. A minute under and the required ‘snow covered Swiss-peaks’ look of the icing just doesn’t happen. Mix for too long and you’re left with icing hard enough to crack your teeth. Trust me, the two and nine minute mixing timings will not be messed with again.
Get your timer ready….Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl at the same time and place over a large pan of boiling water. Stir with a clean metal spoon for 2 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat with an electric hand-held whisk for 9 minutes until cool. The icing is ready when it forms small peaks in the bowl. This is where you need to stop mixing when your see the peaks emerge, or you’ll be left with icebergs instead.
Piping this frosting can be rather tricky and beware, it sets really quickly. I started by piping it out, but ended up using a palate knife to swirl the frosting around the cupcake. I wanted to create a girly version of the traditional white frosting, so added a little red food
Courgette Cake with Frosting
colouring during the whisking and finished them off with gold edible glitter.
TIP: For vanilla flavoured snow on your American Cupcakes, scrape the seeds of a vanilla pod into the mixture at the start of the frosting recipe for a delicious vanilla hit.
A perfect low fat cupcake that looks and tastes just like its naughty cousin.
