Remember the episode of Sex and the City where Miranda was jonesing for cake so bad she ate it out of the garbage? Being in the trash wasn’t bad enough; she had to squirt dish soap on it to actually stop herself from eating it.
Well ladies, I don’t know how many of us have actually been that low, but I know there are times when I’ve been nearly as desperate for a chocolate fix.
Since chocolate cake is an occasional necessity of life, I had to come up with chocolate cake that’s actually nourishing instead of energy-depleting.
It’s a total bonus that this recipe makes just two fabulous little cupcakes…either one for now, one for later or if you feel like being an extraordinarily good friend it’s one for you, one for me.
Tahini (sesame paste) is such a fun, unexpected replacement for butter in frosting. It adds richness in the form of healthy fat and really bumps up the nutritional value as an excellent source of copper, a very good source of manganese, and a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, molybdenum, selenium, and dietary fiber (for more info about the health benefits of sesame, check out The World’s Healthiest Foods).
The frosting pictured is my Fluffy Tahini Chocolate Frosting, and that’s also the recipe I used to calculate the nutrition information. The texture is light and fluffy and the flavor is a combination of nutty chocolate that’s sweet at first, but then lends itself to the slight tang of tahini. I don’t mind the flavor of tahini, but I know it’s not for everyone, so I came up with an easy alternative.
The alternative frosting in the Notes (my Fudgy Tahini Chocolate Frosting) is sweetened with maple syrup instead of stevia and the result is a rich, dense, and super chocolaty frosting without a hint of bitter tahini aftertaste. Of course its sugar content is higher though.
Truth be told, the frosting here is (quite literally) just icing on the cake. These moist, fluffy chocolate cupcakes are scrumptious without any adornment on top, especially paired with a cup of coffee as an afternoon pick-me-up.
Chocolate Cupcakes for Two with Fluffy Tahini Chocolate Frosting
- Total Time: 28 mins
- Yield: 2 frosted cupcakes 1x
Description
Moist and fluffy grain-free and gluten-free chocolate cupcakes topped with your choice of fluffy or fudgy chocolate frosting make the perfect paleo treat.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 3 tablespoons almond meal
- 1 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- 1 teaspoon powdered stevia, which is equivalent to about 2 packets (see Note)
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch espresso powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon plain, unsweetened almond “milk”
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fluffy Tahini Chocolate Frosting:
- 2 tablespoons tahini, stirred well
- 1 teaspoon powdered stevia, which is equivalent to about 2 packets (see Note)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1-2 tablespoons plain, unsweetened almond “milk”, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F; line 2 muffin wells with paper liners.
- For the cupcakes, whisk together the almond meal, coconut flour, cocoa powder, stevia, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Whisk together the egg, maple syrup, "milk", oil, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all and once and stir to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the 2 paper liners and bake until the cupcakes are puffed and a toothpick inserted inside comes out moist but with just a couple crumbs, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- For the frosting, use a fork to mix together all ingredients (except the “milk”) in a small bowl. Add the “milk” a little at a time, continuing to mix until it reaches your desired consistency (it will thin out at first but thicken quickly if you keep stirring). Refrigerate 1 hour so the flavors can blend, then mix in additional "milk" as necessary to bring it back to the right consistency.
- Frost the cupcakes once they’re completely cool.
Notes
Stevia: Here is a guideline on how sweet 1 packet of stevia is: the amount of stevia in 1 packet measures ½ teaspoon, which is about as sweet as 2 to 3 teaspoons of regular sugar.
Alternative Frosting (Fudgy Tahini Chocolate Frosting): Omit the stevia and use maple syrup instead of “milk”.
- Prep Time: 8 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 297
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 173
- Fat: 23
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 19
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 88
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I think I could devour that frosting by the spoonful.. I seriously cannot get enough of tahini in desserts at the moment!