Paleo and AIP Strawberry Cupcakes are a special treat for a spring or summer birthday celebration because they're made with sweet, tart strawberries throughout. There's freeze-dried strawberry powder in the cupcake batter and the "buttercream" frosting. There's even a fresh strawberry for garnish.
Spring and Summer and Strawberry Cupcakes
Before starting a new 30-day AIP challenge, I made a list of all the things I might crave. To ensure success, I ordered freeze dried strawberry powder and tulip cupcake liners. So when my little guy happened to ask for cupcakes, I created these on the spot. They were a huge hit!
As you can imagine, it certainly feels encouraging to stick with an already strict diet when you feel like you get to indulge every now and then.
One thing to note about gluten-free, whole foods baking is that you are working with some textural challenges. It's normal for cake batters to be thick and dense and it's especially helpful if you invest in some tall cupcake liners (more height).
These liners would work best inside of a cupcake tray--turns out, mine spread out quite a bit as they were baked on a flat tray.
Dairy-Free Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
There's no butter in this recipe but the frosting is “buttercream” like in texture because palm shortening is pretty solidified at room temperature and when you add freeze-dried strawberry powder, you don't need any thickeners. That's right. This frosting is just palm shortening, strawberry powder, and a touch of honey and salt.
How to Make Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
These cupcakes are pretty easy to make and you can find all the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
- You mix the dry ingredients in a bowl first then add the coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix.
- Make a gelatin egg and mix that into the batter. It will be very thick (don't thin it out).
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners and bake.
- Whisk all the frosting ingredients then top the chilled cupcakes. Garnish with fresh strawberries and serve.
*Just wanted to add a note that if you want a "chocolate" cupcake base instead of this tigernut version, I highly recommend using the strawberry frosting below with these carob "red velvet" cupcakes.
Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting {AIP, Paleo}
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 1 cup tigernut flour 121 g
- ¼ cup tapioca starch 30 g
- ¼ cup freeze-dried strawberry powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup coconut oil (partially melted) 112 g
- ¼ cup maple syrup 80 g
- 1 Gelatin Egg see instructions
FOR THE FROSTING
- ⅔ cup palm shortening 139 g
- 3-4 teaspoons honey
- ¼ cup freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1 pinch sea salt
- fresh strawberries (optional) for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a cupcake tin with 6 tall liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the tigernut and tapioca flours, strawberry powder, and baking soda. Add the melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
- Prepare the gelatin egg according to the instructions below and add to the mixture, stirring well to form a thick batter. Spoon into the liners until ⅔ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature then set in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, whisk the palm shortening, honey, strawberry powder, and salt until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and place in the fridge (only for up to 15 minutes).
- For the garnish: Remove the green portion of the strawberries and cut them in half. You can use them as-is or you can place them in a bowl with a bit of honey and salt if you'd like them to release some juices.
- Top the prepared cupcakes with frosting and a fresh strawberry (plus strawberry juices) and serve right away.
Notes
- Place the water in a small saucepan. Slowly pour in the gelatin and whisk to break up clumps. Let sit (bloom) for 3 minutes until the mixture solidifies.
- Turn the heat on and cook over low-heat for 1-2 minutes until the gelatin melts. Remove from heat and immediately whisk hard until frothy. Immediately add according to the instructions in the recipe above.
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