Strawberry Poundcake Cupcakes (GF)

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes.  Today’s recipe is for Strawberry Poundcake Cupcakes with Whipped Cream & Cream Cheese Frosting.  Oh yeah!

I made these as a special indulgent treat for a family get-together this past weekend…we celebrated my daughter, Kassia’s 32^nd birthday along with my stepmom, Betsy’s, birthday AND honored our little ballerina, Kaylie Joy, as she performed in her third recital!  Big doings, I am telling you!  So, we splurged a little bit in the healthy category, and oh boy…did we enjoy the yummy category!  These were a hit with the gluten-free crowd…AND the crowd that can eat their gluten.

These delightful cupcakes are based on a ‘perfect’ poundcake recipe from Shirley Braden at glutenfreeeasily.com  You should definitely check out Mrs. Braden’s website and blog!  Her recipes are tried&true!  I’ve never had a failure using her recipes and she has much insight to share regarding gluten-free baking and cooking.

*NOTE*  You will need only one other ingredient to complete these beautiful, delicious cupcakes: some perfectly ripe small-sized whole strawberries.  It is important that you choose small strawberries because if you were to insert cut strawberries into the tops of your cupcakes, the moisture would ruin the consistency of your lovely poundcake cupcakes!  Trust me…you can ask me how I know  ;-{

Poundcake Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:
2+1/4 cups gluten-free flour
1+1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1+1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup light olive oil
1+1/2 cups coconut sugar (your choice of sugar)
2 tablespoons orange or grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons almond extract
3 large eggs
2/3 cup coconut milk (your choice of milk)

Directions for cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350; line muffin tins with 24 cupcake papers
• Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl; set aside
• Pour olive oil into mixing bowl, with mixer running slowly add sugar,  juice, and extract ‘til combined well
• Add eggs—one at a time—stirring after each addition
• Add milk, and mix for two minutes
• Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing well
• Scoop batter into lined tins
• Bake for 22–24 minutes, testing with toothpick for doneness
• Remove from tins, and cool completely on rack

Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese Frosting

Frosting Ingredients:
1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1+1/2 teaspoons almond extract

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions for frosting:
Cream whips best when it is cold. Keep the whipping cream in the refrigerator ‘til ready to whip.  Also chill your mixing bowl AND whisk or beaters (refrigerate for at least 15 minutes).

• Add cold whipping cream to chilled bowl
• Whisk using electric mixer ‘til soft peaks form
• Then sprinkle the sugar over the whipping cream and continue to beat; as sugar is blended in, slowly pour in the extract
• Important to keep an eye on the cream as it heads towards done; don’t overbeat!  Set aside
• In a separate large bowl, beat the cream cheese ‘til fluffy
• Crefully add in the 1/2 cup powdered sugar blending well
• Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture ‘til they are completely incorporated.  Nice job!

Assembling directions:  please see *NOTE* above.

• Wash and dry the strawberries, slicing off the green cap
• Carefully carve out a small indentation in the top of each cooled cupcake
• Insert—pointside down—a small strawberry into each indentation
• It is perfectly acceptable that the strawberries stick up just a bit above the top edge of the cupcake
• Now frost the cupcake with the whipped cream mixture.  Done!  Enjoy!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this blogpost, you may email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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