vegan cupcakes | Cybele Pascal

Allergy Friendly Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Allergy-Friendly Strawberry Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Free From gluten and all top 8 allergens

With strawberry season in full swing, local farmer’s markets are overflowing with these sweet little beauties. Take advantage of their cheaper price tag, and bake strawberries into all your favorite treats. Brimming with vitamin C and fiber, strawberries make these lovely cupcakes almost a health food! So pretty in pink, these gems are great for birthdays, class parties, or an afternoon tea. And don’t forget your summer barbecues, they are perfect for those too. Don’t they look like they must be bad for you? Nope, 100% natural, gluten-free, vegan, and free of all top food allergens. Now, that’s a berry special treat.

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup rice milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups my Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix or Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons dairy-free soy-free vegetable shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 3 Tablespoons rice milk

1 recipe Allergy-Friendly Strawberry Frosting (recipe follows)

12 small strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

2. Puree strawberries in blender, until reduced to 1/2 cup liquid. Add a few more strawberries if necessary.

3. Combine 1/2 cup strawberry puree with 1/4 cup rice milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

4. Measure out flour mix by spooning flour into a dry measuring cup, then leveling it off with a straightedge, or the back of a knife. (Do not scoop the flour directly with the measuring cup or you’ll wind up with too much flour for the recipe). Combine flour mix with xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well. Set aside.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine vegetable shortening and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed 2 minutes.

6 Add egg replacer to bowl of stand mixer. Mix on medium speed 1 minute more.

7. Using a sifter, sift in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with strawberry mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until combined, about 30 seconds. Once batter is smooth, spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each liner, filling the liners about three-quarters full. Do not overfill the liners, or they will rise too high.

8. Bake in the center of the oven 20 minutes until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, and cupcakes are a lovely berry color. The cupcakes won’t be pink, they bake up more berry blue. (The frosting is pink!)

9. Remove from oven and transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack to let cool completely before frosting. Either pipe frosting or use a frosting spatula to spread it. Top each cupcake with a strawberry.

Allergy-Friendly Strawberry Frosting

Makes enough for 12 Cupcakes

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

1 cup dairy-free soy-free vegetable shortening

pinch of salt

3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Puree strawberries in blender. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream shortening and pinch of salt on medium speed, about 2 minutes.

3. Add confectioners sugar in three batches, beating after each addition. Add 3 Tablespoons of the strawberry puree, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.