Growing up I can remember eating strawberry cupcakes with delicious sweet pink icing. I know now that those were made from a boxed mix with so much food dye in them, no wonder they were a beautiful bright pink color. As I set out to try and make a cleaner version, I knew getting that pink color would be hard to do. My first batch were not quite sweet enough, lost all the pink color once they were baked, and needed a bit more strawberry and lemon flavor. I remember seeing freeze dried strawberries at the store and though they might just be just the trick to give them more color and flavor. They turned out nice and light, great flavor, and perfectly sweetened. Similar to strawberry shortcake in taste and light pink in color.
I topped this with a version of Italian Méringue icing. I used molten honey and pureed strawberries to keep it Paleo and unrefined sugar free. Let me tell you learning how to make this icing was kind of life changing as I had no idea how such simple ingredients can make such a wonderful light and fluffy icing. This icing resembles marshmallow fluff and can take on whatever flavor you give it…think raspberry, lemon curd, or blueberry. It also holds up in the fridge for quite a few days. Alternatively, you could leave the icing off and easily call these babies muffins. I had a few sans icing, topped with cashew butter and mmm mmm so good!
Best of all, these are grain-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. They are a perfect treat for Valentine’s.
-Makes 12 cupcakes
Strawberry Lemon Paleo Cupcakes
Equipment
- muffin tin
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup pureed strawberries
- 1/3 cup ground freeze-dried strawberries used my blender/food processor for this
- 2 eggs room temp
- 3 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- zest 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup finely diced strawberries
Ingredients for Paleo Italian Meringue
- 2 egg whites room temperature
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup honey boiling
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp ground freeze-dried strawberries (if you want it to taste like strawberry and be pink
- 1 1/2 tbsp pureed strawberries or jam could also use homemade preserves of any fruit
- 1 tsp Lemon zest optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/177C.
- Put cupcake liners in your muffin tin. I like to use the non toxic parchment paper kind.
- Mix all dry ingredients together. Almond flour, tapioca, baking powder and soda, salt, and coconut sugar.
- Combine pureed strawberries, ground freeze dried strawberries, eggs, honey or maple syrup, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, and melted coconut oil. Mix well to combine all the wet ingredients.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well.
- Gently fold in finely diced strawberries into batter.
- Fill 3/4 of the way full into muffin liners. You can use the back side of a wet spoon if you need to smooth out the batter so they have a nice flat top once baked as the batter will be thick.
- Bake for 16-18 mins or until fully cooked.
- Let cool completely before icing.
Meringue Icing Directions
- Make sure your mixer bowl is nice and clean, as any leftover oil will prevent your egg whites from whipping up.
- Beat the egg whites and lemon juice until frothy and you can just begin to see it starting to form soft peaks. When you lift out the beaters, you should see soft peaks. Do not over beat.
- As you beat the egg whites bring your honey to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Careful as honey boils quickly. Keep an eye on it so it does not burn.
- With the mixer running, slowly pour in the boiling honey in a slow stream. Continue beating for 6 ish minutes, until the meringue is cool to the touch.
- Put in your vanilla and mix for another few seconds.
- Gently fold in your ground strawberries, pureed strawberries, and lemon zest if using it.
- Put into a piping bag for easy decorating.
Notes
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F/177C.
- Put cupcake liners in your muffin tin. I like to use the non toxic parchment paper kind.
- Mix all dry ingredients together. Almond flour, tapioca, baking powder and soda, salt, and coconut sugar.
- Combine pureed strawberries, ground freeze dried strawberries, eggs, honey or maple syrup, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and melted coconut oil. Mix well to combine all the wet ingredients.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well.
- Gently fold in finely diced strawberries into batter.
- Fill 3/4 of the way full into muffin liners. You can use the back side of a wet spoon if you need to smooth out the batter so they have a nice flat top once baked as the batter will be thick.
- Bake for 16-18 mins or until fully cooked.
- Let cool completely before icing.
-Store any leftover in the fridge.
Ingredients for Paleo Italian Merinque
- 2 egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp of lemon juice
- 1/3 cup of honey (boiling)
- 1 tbsp of pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp of ground freeze dried strawberries (if you want it to taste like strawberry and be pink
- 1 1/2 tbsp of pureed strawberries (could also use homemade preserves of any fruit)
- Lemon zest (optional)
Directions for Icing
- Make sure your mixer bowl is nice and clean, as any leftover oil will prevent your egg whites from whipping up.
- Beat the egg whites and lemon juice until frothy and you can just begin to see it starting to form soft peaks. When you lift out the beaters, you should see soft peaks. Do not over beat.
- As you beat the egg whites bring your honey to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Careful as honey boils quickly. Keep an eye on it so it does not burn.
- With the mixer running, slowly pour in the boiling honey in a slow stream. Continue beating for 6 ish minutes, until the meringue is cool to the touch.
- Put in your vanilla and mix for another few seconds.
- Gently fold in your ground strawberries, pureed strawberries, and lemon zest if using it.
- Put into a piping bag for easy decorating.