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I know I know, I haven’t posted in forever and a day. The past few weeks have been a bit stressful with a trip to NYC and starting classes at the Nutritional Therapy Association. That’s right, folks. I’m going back to school for ANOTHER certification, to be a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time because it’s much more in depth about the chemical and biological changes our bodies go through in reaction to food, and while it’s super interesting (to me, at least), it’s also a lot of work coupled with a full time job. Anyway, I’m pausing on pursuing my health coaching business while I’m still in school but I will continue to update this blog as much as I can. Sorry for being MIA while I adapt to this transition.
But don’t ya worry, I’m back with a dessert recipe just in time for Valentine’s Day. To me, whether you are single or not, all Valentine’s Day is is an excuse try out a delicious restaurant and/or eat some yummy sweet treats. C and I have similar attitudes towards it. Last year, we used a Groupon to try out a restaurant, then rushed back home to start watching the new season of House of Cards released that day. So romantic. We loved it. This year, we are trying out a restaurant that’s in a department store (Hey, it’s Nordstrom so it must be classy) and then going to a comedy show. Good food. No presents. That’s the way we like it. And maybe add a sweet dessert that I can actually eat, which made me think of this delicious red velvet cupcake recipe.
If I was being honest about how I ate this, I would have called this recipe, “Coconut Frosting with a side of Red Velvet Cupcakes.” The creamy frosting really makes this cupcake and I couldn’t stop spooning it in my mouth on its own. It’s made with coconut cream separated from coconut milk, and you can’t tell that it’s dairy free or that it’s healthy. Double whammy.
There’s something that feels decadent about red velvet cakes or cupcakes because of its beautiful color. I don’t use or eat artificial food coloring for a number of different reasons (Red 40 is NOT food), so beets did a perfect job of giving the cupcakes that deep red color. You can taste a hint of the beets but it complements well with the chocolate sweetness. Try this out for a velvety sweet dessert on your V-day!
PALEO RED VELVET CUPCAKE WITH COCONUT FROSTING
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 1/2 cup pureed red beets (about 1-2 small beets)
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- Place the beets in a saucepan and add water to cover them.
- Bring the beets to a boil, and reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes until they are fork tender.
- Rinse the beets under cold water.
- Peel the skins off the beets and place the beets in a blender or food processor.
- Puree the beets, and measure out 1/2 cup of puree.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the beet puree with the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut flour, tapioca starch, cocoa power, and baking powder.
- Mix together dry and wet ingredients.
- Pour the batter into a 6 cup muffin pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool before topping off with the coconut frosting.
FOR THE FROSTING
- Refrigerate a can of coconut milk for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Carefully take out the can and turn it upside down.
- Open the can. You'll see the coconut water floating on the top.
- Pour out the coconut water, until you see the thick coconut cream resting on the bottom.
- Scoop out the cream into a large bowl.
- Add the honey and the vanilla extract.
- Using a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or an electric whisk, whip the cream until it becomes fluffy.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
