Low-fat Candy Corn Cupcakes

I LOVE Halloween and whenever it comes around I am always wanting to make fun, festive or spooky treats and food! This time of year can be so hard to eat healthy though. It seems like everywhere you go, you are tempted with candy, cookies, pie and treats galore! It's definitely not IMPOSSIBLE to eat healthy, though.

These cupcakes are actually Hungry Girl's recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes.  All I did to make them Halloween appropriate was divide the batter into two, dye one-half orange and other half yellow.  I layered each cupcake liner with half yellow batter, then orange.  You can't see it by this picture but it is really fun to bite into the cupcake and find a bright two-toned cupcake! And these may be guilt-free (164 calories and 3g fat per cupcake), but they are delicious!

HG's "Candy Corn" Cupcakes
recipe adapted from Hungry Girl

Ingredients:

For Frosting
1 1/4 cups Cool Whip Free, thawed
1 1/2 tbsp. Jell-O Sugar Free Fat Free Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

For Cupcakes
Half of an 18.25-oz. box (about 1 1/2 cups) moist-style yellow cake mix
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup Sprite Zero (or another diet lemon-lime soda), room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup liquid egg whites or (about 4) raw egg whites
yellow food color
red food color

For Topping
candy corn
Halloween/fall colored sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the frosting, combine Cool Whip with pudding mix in a bowl, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cupcakes are ready to be frosted.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix with baking powder and stir until free of lumps. Add soda and vanilla extract, and stir or whisk until batter is smooth. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with a handheld electric mixer set to medium speed until fluffy, about 1 - 2 minutes. Gently mix egg whites into the cake batter until thoroughly combined.

Divide batter into two equal parts.  In one half, add 3-4 drops of yellow food color (or more if it needs it) and mix well.  In the other half, add a 1:3 ratio of red to yellow food color until you get the orange color that you like. (I think I did 2 drops red, 6 drops yellow- yikes!)

Line 9 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute the yellow batter into the cups, then evenly distribute the orange batter on top of that.

Bake for 15 - 17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out fairly clean. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Once cupcakes have cooled, top each evenly with the frosting and decorate with candy corn and/or sprinkles.

Nutriton: 164 calories per serving, 3g fat

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

FINALLY.  School is done for the summer for me! I could not be more relieved... although that means I have to find another summer job to keep me busy.  Nonetheless, we'll just pretend that I'll have a lot more time to blog.

Yes, I like pretending.

 

I like pretending that I made these tonight and I'm a super diligent blogger and that these are the best cupcakes ever.  Oh wait, that last part isn't pretending!  This was my Easter gift to my family and they were SO good. Honestly some of the best cupcakes I've ever had.  

 

Wanna know the best part?

Huh?

Huh?

They're LIGHT. In calories and fat.  The original recipe is actually for Carrot CAKE but I got super duper creative by baking it in muffin cups... I know.  A little crazy with the imagination here.  

 

Anyway, 262 calories and 8.8 grams of fat per cupcake.  Okay so it's no diet soda cupcake... but the stats could be much worse.

They are deeeeee-lish and no one will ever know they are "light."

 

Carrot Cupcakes with Toasted Cream Cheese Frosting

from Cooking Light

 

• Cake:
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 (2 1/2-ounce) jar carrot baby food
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups finely grated carrot (about 4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• Cooking spray 
• Frosting:
• 1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until well blended. Place flour mixture in a large bowl. Combine granulated sugar, canola oil, baby food, and eggs; stir with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Stir in grated carrot and raisins. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray or filled with cupcake/muffin liners.
• Bake at 325° for 30-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
• To prepare frosting, combine cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat). Spread over cake; sprinkle with coconut. Cover and chill.

Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm sorry to do this to you, I really am.  

These aren't the least bit healthy.  I wish I could say that reduced-fat cream cheese or light butter was substituted for the fatty good stuff, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  Sometimes you just gotta indulge.  Smartly, of course.  I mean, it's not like you would ever over-eat on cupcakes... they're put into individual serving cups for a reason...portion control?

My mom makes these cupcakes a lot, and they are always, undoubtedly a hit with crowds, family, friends, pets, etc, etc...  I dare you to eat just one.  Yep.

Coconut Cupcakes

 

3/4 lb. (3 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 C. Sugar

5 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

3 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 C buttermilk

14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachments, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

 

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with the batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

 

1 lb cream cheese at room temperature

3/4 lb (3 sticks) butter at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

1 1/2 lbs confectioners' sugar, sifted

 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle atachments, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with remaining coconut.