Get free recipes + tips, plus my complimentary Herb Guide

Yes! I Want This

Vanilla Cupcakes with Pink Cream Cheese Frosting

Vanilla Cupcakes with Pink Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
½ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:
1 cup raspberries, thawed if frozen
¼ cup water
1 (8-ounce) package Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese), softened
1 cup confectioner’s sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 (1/2 cup) muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder and salt.

Put the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer to cream until smooth. Gradually add a half cup of the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and remaining half cup of sugar and beat until lighter in color, about 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at time beating well after each addition. Beat in the apple sauce.

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture then half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour then milk and add the vanilla extract, beating just enough to incorporate after each addition.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tin for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, puree the raspberries and water in a blender. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer and press with a spatula to extract all the puree. You should wind up with about ¼ cup raspberry puree. Discard the seeds.

Beat the Neufchatel cheese, confectioner’s sugar and raspberry puree with an electric mixer until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before spreading on cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes and 1 cup frosting

For Purple Frosting:
Bring ½ cup Concord grape juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook over a medium high heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly then beat with the Neufchatel cheese and sugar until smooth. Chill for 2 hours.

For Green Frosting:
In a small bowl mix ½ teaspoon matcha green tea powder with 1 teaspoon boiling water to form a paste. Stir in 3 tablespoon hot water. Allow to cool slightly then beat with the Neufchatel cheese and sugar until smooth. Chill for 2 hours.

Per serving: Calories 296; Total Fat 12g; (Sat Fat 5g, Mono Fat 5g, Poly Fat 2g); Protein 5g; Carb 44g; Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 54mg; Sodium 238mg

Copyright 2017 Ellie Krieger. All rights reserved.

Print or Share this Recipe/Article: