Red Velvet Cream Cheeze Frosted Cupcakes

Chocolate in disguise…because the best desserts and sweet treats always start and end with chocolate. Don’t even try and argue with me.

You know what gets my goat, and only because I lived that life to the extreme for so long, is people saying they are “giving up chocolate” or they’re “trying to not eat chocolate at the moment”. I use to laugh at people trying to achieve a healthy balance. Abstaining was my thing and gave me a sense of superiority. For many other people it’s simply to do with them placing the finger of blame on particular foods, food groups or macro nutrients. Blaming them for their weight gain, inability to lose weight, or the various potential ailments and illness they may or may not have.

In reality I’m all for not eating foods that cause your body any form of real harm or discomfort but I’m actually ok with a little bit of it.

I used to get so anxious around Christmas time, with all the luxurious foods around and my year round abstinence at times went out the window. Others I held tight and had this internal battle and just feeling of having missed out, which I did, on just enjoying the food for what it was as well as the social engagements and gatherings that went along with them. I’d be at them, but I wasn’t present because I was obsessing about the food I wasn’t going to allow myself to eat.

There is a definite turn in the world of social media this year towards encouraging people to just live a little. Don’t go crazy unnecessarily, do what feels right for you, but if you put on a few pounds so be it. The squiggly line effect will sort it all out once you go back to your normal routine after the holidays. The more you try to abstain the more likely you are to go a little over the top and end up feeling all kinds of unnecessary guilt.

Could I have gone any more off track from the recipe?!?! Possibly, I am known for a ramble. It’s what voice messages and random intro’s to recipes are there for if you ask me! And of course the occasional Insta story.

Cupcakes… red velvet ones with dairy free cream cheese frosting. A delicious little treat to add to the round up this Christmas. They’re red and have white tops, and taste like chocolate, what more could you want or need! I used the Nushfoods almond milk cream cheese for the frosting which works perfectly! Cream cheese frosting is the only kind that wins over chocolate kind, one of the few exceptions to the rule.

Red Velvet Cream Cheeze Frosted Cupcakes

Print Recipe

By Peachy Palate Serves: 8 large cupcakes Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 - 17 minutes

Ingredients

• 180ml oat milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 80g coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120g gluten free flour blend
• 140g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp (15g) cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp beetroot powder or vegan red food colouring
• For the Frosting
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk refridgerated overnight
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 80g Nushfoods almond milk cream cheese
• 1 tbsp dark chocolate chips if desired

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

2

Mix oat milk and apple cider vinegar together and set to one side for 5 minutes. Then add the coconut oil and vanilla extract.

3

Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl.

4

Add wet to dry and whisk to combine.

5

Add beet powder or red food colouring.

6

Divide mixture up into 8 cupcake cases laid out in a cupcake tray.

7

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 - 17 minutes; until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8

Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

9

Meanwhile scoop cream from the top of the can of refridgerated coconut milk.

10

Whisk cream with cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract.

11

Place a dollop of top of each fully cooled cupcake and smooth around the edges using a teaspoon; or you can use a piping bag!

12

Sprinkle with some chocolate chips if desired!