Recipe: Healthy Strawberries and Cream Protein Cupcakes

Sooooo, uh.... I kinda sorta have a strawberry obsession. It happens every year and it always starts around about this time. I've gone without strawberries for months and the second the prices start dropping, I start shopping. 

You'll find me at the grocery store or farmer's market or fruit market, inspecting punnet after punnet of strawberries, looking for the perfect pack and loading them into my trolley.

You'll find them stacked in my fridge, waiting to be devoured with breakfast, lunch, dinner (yes! strawberries are awesome in savoury combos!) or dessert.

You'll find them sliced on top of overnight oats, mixed into salads or quinoa, blended into smoothies, used in frosting or placed on top of cupcakes. 

The obsession is so great, in fact, that I've even started deciding what baked goods to create based on how I can incorporate strawberries into the mix. That's how these ridiculously delicious Strawberry Shortcake Protein Cupcakes were born. 

As always, we were in need of a new protein packed snack for the next few days and I had strawberries on the brain. The week before we'd had protein brownies but I really felt like cake - so Strawberry Shortcakes it was! 

These Strawberries and Cream Protein Cupcakes are ridiculously delicious - and you really cannot tell they're packed with protein. I was calling them Strawberry Shortcake cupcakes, however, Jesse told me I had to change the name for you guys considering I don't think I've ever actually eaten a Strawberry Shortcake and don't really know what exactly they are.

Nevertheless, they're delicious. The cake is light and fluffy and almost like an Angel Food Cake in texture, however, it's gluten free, refined sugar free and full of protein! Instead of frosting, we topped ours with a simple swirl of whipped cream, served up with a slice strawberry on top. They're simple and healthy but taste oh so indulgent!

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Healthy Strawberries and Cream Protein Cupcakes Recipe

also known as Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Protein Cupcakes

low fat, gluten free, low carb, high protein, grain free

makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes 

For the cupcakes:

1/2 cup (60g or 2 scoops) whey protein *see notes

1 cup (100g) almond meal or almond flour

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt 

1/4 cup to 1/3 cup (50-65g) coconut sugar **see notes

1 large egg 

2 egg whites (60g or 1/4 cup)

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (100g) unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup (180g) reduced fat ricotta ***see notes

2 tsp vanilla extract 

For the whipped cream: 

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 

1-2 tsp vanilla extract

Optional: 1 tbsp icing sugar/confectioner's sugar 

• Preheat your oven to 180C/355F
• Grease and/or line your cupcake pans and set aside. If using paper liners, you may want to use non stick ones or lightly grease them so your cake doesn't stick too much or you can also use very lightly greased silicone cupcake pans.
• Combine your whey, almond meal, baking powder, salt and set aside. 
• Mix together your coconut sugar, egg, egg whites, applesauce, ricotta and vanilla until smooth. 
• Pour your ricotta mixture into your dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. 
• Pour your cupcake batter into your cupcake tins, filling about 3/4 of the way full. 
• Bake for 10-16 minutes (cooking time will depend on size/thickness) or until cooked through.
• Leave to cool before removing from the tin. 
• Once your cupcakes have cooled, whip your cream, vanilla and sugar (if using) with a mixer with whisk attachment or by hand until stiff peaks form. Carefully spoon your whipped cream into a piping bag and pipe onto your cooled cupcakes, topping with a strawberry. 
• We find it's best to top these cupcakes with whipped cream only when you're ready to serve them. The cupcakes themselves will keep fresh in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for 2-3 days and can also be frozen in zip lock bags and defrosted whenever you want them! 

Notes:

• *We used our favourite unflavoured whey protein for this recipe as we prefer it to sweetened/flavoured versions. If using a flavoured or sweetened whey protein you may want to consider using less sugar. For baking, however, we highly recommend this whey protein.
• **We use 1/4 cup sugar as we don't like things too sweet, however, use more/less depending on your tastes and whether or not your protein powder is sweetened. Instead of coconut sugar you may also use unrefined cane sugar or brown sugar.
• ***If you don't have/like ricotta you can also use blended cottage cheese or greek yogurt. We preferred the taste/texture of the ricotta version though so suggest you try that first! (And Jesse hates ricotta but you can't tell it's in there!)
• You may also make this as a full sized cake! Just bake it in a 8" tin (round or square) until cooked through.

But tell me, what food are you currently loving? 

I'm all about strawberries, mushrooms and overnight oats right now.

And what is your favourite kind of cake/cupcake?