These bad boys were heavily inspired by the Peach and Nectarine Upside-Down Cake from the Green Market Baking Book.
http://www.amazon.ca/Green-Market-Baking-Book-Delicious/dp/1402759975So, I didn't use peaches or nectarine, thus these cupcakes are deemed "golden." If I had the fruit on hand I am sure I would have actually followed the recipe. I will not write out the original recipe, but will share my version. The cupcakes are sweet, but not overly so. If you are not used to a reduced/no-sugar diet and are expecting these to taste like those grocery-store pound cakes with buttercreme icing you will be disappointed. However, if you want a yummy yet still pretty-healthy treat and are used to desserts without tonnes of sugar I think (and hope) you will enjoy these.
Golden Cupcakes: (Makes 10)1 1/2 cups of flour (I used a mixture of quinoa, kamut, and all-purpose flour which made these more hearty.)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (This can be omitted; it doesn't really affect the taste.)
2 eggs
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (for extra fun, do this without realizing there is a hunk of cookie dough on the bottom of the oven and proceed to fill the kitchen with smoke). Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
2. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a medium-sized bowl.
3. In a separate (larger) bowl, beat together the brown rice syrup, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and ginger. I just used a whisk.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each one.
5. Stir in the yogurt.
6. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stirring well.
7. Scoop the batter into the muffin liners and bake for 13-15 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool before applying the topping.
Super Dark Chocolate-Coconut Topping:
2 bars (2 ounces) of unsweetened baking chocolate (I used Baker's)
1/3-1/2 cup of milk (I used skim)
3 scoops (3/32 tsp) of Stevia powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2/3 cup shredded (fine texture) unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons hulled hemp seeds
garnish (optional--I used chia seeds and hulled hemp seeds).
**This is a very dark chocolate topping, add more agave nectar to sweeten it up some.
Directions:
1. Place the chocolate and half the milk in a microwavable bowl and cook for 1 minute on high (or until the chocolate is melted).
2. Beat the mixture until smooth, adding the rest of the milk.
3. Add in the stevia, agave nectar, almond extract, coconut, and hemp. Stir until everything is well-mixed.
4. Spread on cooled cupcakes, sprinkling with garnishes if desired.
5. Eat.
For more pictures and links, hop on over to my blog:
http://positiveponderings.blogspot.com/2011/06/golden-cupcakes-with-super-dark.html
