I found a recipe for gluten free cupcakes at Elana’s Pantry, a site I’ve just discovered today. Coconut flour is very different to cook with than regular flour. It isn’t just a matter of substituting coconut in place of regular flour (like I have been for the commercial gluten free flour) so I needed a dedicated recipe.

I have made a few substitutions to the original recipe – coconut oil instead of grape seed oil, honey instead of agave and himalayan pink salt instead of celtic sea salt.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

1/4 teaspoon himalayan pink salt

1/2 teaspoon bi-carb soda

3 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup raw honey

Method:

1. Sift coconut flour, raw cacao powder, salt and bi-carb soda into a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil and honey.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and store until completely combined (it takes a bit of stirring because at first it doesn’t look like the dry ingredients are being incorporated into the wet ingredients – they eventually come together.
4. Place cup cake papers into your cupcake pan (I used mini cupcake papers and pans).
5. Fill cup cake liners almost to the top (I found it took about 1 tablespoon of batter and rose just over the patty case)
6. Bake at 190°C for 20-22 minutes
7. Cool and ice if desired.

Organic Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

Last week was my little boy’s second birthday and the first time I’ve made cupcakes for him.

It goes without saying that he absolutely loved them and couldn’t get enough of them and I felt a little bad because in the rush of preparing for visitors and a birthday party, I used a packet mix.

So to feel a little less guilty about allowing my child to eat chocolate cupcakes, tonight I made another batch of cupcakes and I modified a basic buttercake recipe (that I learnt in high school) to make my own “healthy” organic version.

I’ve recently been inspired by my friend Vidi who writes a raw food blog The Raw Recipe, to add some new ingredients to my pantry. So while these cupcakes are definitely cooked, some of the ingredients are ones that have been suggested to replace some of my regular ingredients to add a bit of extra nutrition to our diet.

I’ve been using organic eggs, milk and butter for quite a few years to minimise our intake of pesticides and hormones found in regular dairy and eggs and now I’ve found a great local organic store where I’ve sourced some raw cacao products (from a great company called Loving Earth) and Organic Panela (evaporated cane juice).

The Organic Raw Cacao contains potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and iron and has up to 4 times the amount of antioxidants of traditional cocoa powder.

The Organic Panela retains the nutrients naturally found in sugar cane that are stripped away in regular sugar products. Evaporated sugar can juice only undergoes a pressing and drying process, so the natural qualities (carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins) are retained.

Enjoy chocolate mini cupcakes in moderation

Organic Chocolate Mini Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• Mini patty cases (more than 60)
• 175g Organic Panela (Evaporated Cane Juice) ground fine in a bamix mill to resemble caster sugar
• 175g Softened Organic Butter
• 3 organic eggs
• 125 ml organic milk (raw if you’re game & can source it)
• 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
• 175g Organic Self Raising Flour
• 4 Tablespoons Raw Cacao Powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 180? (or 350? – my current oven is ancient & in Fahrenheit but bakes beautifully).

Line a mini cupcake tray with mini paper patty cases.

Beat softened butter with the sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and creamy.

Add the vanilla extract to the milk.

Sift the flour with the raw cacao powder.

Beat one egg at a time into the butter and sugar mix until well combined.

Alternate adding the milk and flour, mixing well between each addition.

Spoon the batter into the patty cases (almost to the top) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until firm.

Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool. When cool decorate as desired.

My little boy doesn’t like the icing so they stay plain for him

Makes approximately 60 mini cupcakes.