Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcakes or Muffins
I made gluten and lactose free chocolate cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting. I am honest with you I had been confused for a long time about the difference between a muffin and a cupcake. Internet helped me to find the answer. The most important difference between cupcakes and muffins is that cupcakes almost always include frosting. Muffins include less sugar and more fruit. Muffins can often be savory and include cheese and vegetables. Cupcake recipes generally have more sugar and fat than muffins. They never have a filling because the batter is already sweet enough. Cupcakes are made out of a much softer and smoother batter. Muffins have a bit harder texture than cupcakes.
All in all, the most important thing is to be delicious, whatever its name is.
Gluten free and lactose free
I use almond flour and tapioca flour in this batter. The batter is absolutely gluten free, it is paleo friendly. This cream cheese strawberry frosting is lactose free, but it is not dairy free and therefore not paleo. This frosting is not good for people with casein intolerance.
All Depends on The Decoration
I made this muffin for Valentine’s Day, but it can be made for any occasion. Choose the right muffin liners, use different fruits in the frosting and on the top. It is great for birthday and when Santa is coming. I have very nice Christmas liners also. You can play with colors according to event your muffin is prepared for. Remember creativity always helps!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the batter
- 100 gram almond flour
- 60 gram tapioca flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 medium eggs
- 50 gram xylitol
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp almond milk or more
For the frosting
- 100 gram lactose butter on room temperature
- 200 gram lactose free cream cheese
- 100 gram strawberry
- 3 tbsp honey or more if you have a sweet tooth
- 3 tsp konjac flour
- 6 pcs freeze dried strawberry for decoration optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a 6-hole cupcake tin.
- Add almond flour, tapioca flour cocoa powder and baking powder to a bowl and mix them.
- Add eggs and xylitol with a pinch of salt to another bowl and mix them with electric hand mixer for 2 minutes.
- Add coconut oil, vanilla extract and almond milk to the egg mixture.
- Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Add more almond milk if the batter is not creamy enough. Only 1 tbsp at a time.
- Divide the batter in the cupcake tin and bake for 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean after inserted. Let them cool perfectly before you put the frosting on the top.
- While the cupcake is baking and cooling, make the frosting.
- Put fresh strawberry into blender or food processor and blend for 1 minute.
- Combine butter and cream cheese with hand whisk until the consistency is creamy and homogeneous.
- Add blended strawberry, honey and konjac flour. Mix with hand whisk. It will be soft.
- Cover and put the bowl into the fridge for 40 minutes. It is easy to use after chilling. Konjac flour thickens the batter.
- Put the frosting into a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes.
- Crumble the freeze-dried strawberries between your fingers and decorate the top of your cupcakes. Serve and enjoy!