Hi, friends! Thanks for visiting the blog and seeing what’s new. Today, I’m sharing an awesome recipe for moist vanilla cupcakes that have a dragonfruit frosting.
For anyone who has made vegan or gluten-free treats know, it can be REALLY freaking hard to bake alternative substitutions that are much healthier than their conventional counterparts but still taste good and have a rocking texture. That’s why every now and again, I like to experiment with conventional ingredients.
Baking with standard ingredients like “all-purpose flour,” “butter,” and “eggs,” is so easy! And, as a chef and health enthusiast, I need to be able to pipe creamy, effortless frosting every now and again. It’s just, like, good for my mental sanity. 😉 Of course, the Holistic Nutritionist in me doesn’t feel so hot about serving my loved ones sub-par ingredients, so I settle with using organic and local ingredients from happy animals that are well taken care of.
Perhaps the most exciting part was using dragonfruit powder and beetroot powder in the frosting. The Willy Wonka-like flavor of the dragonfruit totally masked the beetroot powder (so did the powdered sugar) in the frosting. But, the frosting turned bright pink — exactly what I wanted.
I’m pleased. Those who have tasted them (mainly, Aaron and my neighbors who are kind to us) agree that they are tasty AF and definitely worth re-creating. Get the free recipe below:
Moist Vanilla Cupcakes w/ Dragon Fruit Buttercream Frosting
Preparation Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serving Size: 12-14 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes: 
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup raw cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking soda heaping
- 1 tsp baking powder heaping
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, room temperature
- 3 egg whites room temperature
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup coconut or plant-based yogurt
For the dragonfruit buttercream:
- 2 lb confectioners sugar, sifted
- 1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp almond milk
- 4 1/2 Tbsp Dragonfruit powder
- 2 Tbsp beet powder (optional)
*I used organic and local ingredients to improve the quality of the butter, confectioner’s sugar, and eggs.
Directions:
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line each cupcake tin with a liner.
- In a large bowl, sift and combine the dry ingredients (including sugar) until well-incorporated.
- In a second bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until combined.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients; mix well.
- Distribute the batter evenly into cupcake papers, filling 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
For the Buttercream:
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter.
- Add in the confectioner’s sugar in two to three batches. Once it is well incorporated, add in the milk, vanilla, dragonfruit powder, and beet powder.
- Mix until fluffy, then transfer to a piping bag.
- After the cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe a large dollop onto each cake.
- Garnish as desired, serve, and enjoy!
I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe. Please comment your thoughts below and share this delectable treat!
Stay Strong & What to Expect in the Coming Year(s)
This year has been a whirlwind. Parts of it left me in shock, and I can sense those aspects of the young girl I embody still clinging to ideas of the past. Before long, they will be corrected. One thing is for sure, it is a painful process to let go of what was and embrace the new. But, I feel love knowing I am not alone in this.
Very few people had what might be labeled as a “good” year, and this is because the collective is experiencing a shift in Consciousness. Earth can no longer tolerate the behavior of mankind and so she is changing, too. And, those changes may wipe us out or they may cause us to live in alignment with Father Spirit and Mother Nature and recognize our true, extraordinary selves.
In the years that are to come, people will increasingly search out nature. Let us hope she is not destroyed before the light flickers on, so to speak. When the collective celebrates natural seasons, is allowed to acknowledge and expel inner hate, guilt, trauma, and shame (and heal in the presence of others), and is encouraged to nurture the individual self in a way that serves the whole, we will know that we have survived and overcome.
For now, we are in the middle of a progression from ‘Self’ to ‘Oneness’, and it is bound to get rocky and exciting. My advice for those who are just waking up or have reached self-actualization and are just getting settled with the facts is to keep your Mind’s eye on Spirit, your heart in the right direction (doing what you love), and to prioritize your relationships AND the way you feel. Your emotions are your inner compass helping you to determine where you should go in life and what serves you.
After you give yourself permission to feel your emotions and identify and acknowledge each one, you lose the sense of anxiety that approaches when other humans seek to interact with you. You do not need to hide underneath a mask anymore. In fact, the world will not allow it. You need to be brave and accept that YOU were chosen to come here for a very specific reason. And, if you are reading this, that reason is likely to be a light worker.
Credit: Pixabay
A light worker does good, no matter the path, time, location, type of deed, or if someone is watching. Such an individual acts from the heart because they know they will be rewarded with unconditional love, protection, and self-awareness if they act on behalf of the Light Creator, which some refer to as ‘God in Heaven’. In time, you will come to realize that God is not a character sitting on a cloud, looking over humans and condemning those who break his word.
No, God is an Omnipresent being which IS all things. As a result, you and I are extensions of God. We are because Spirit (neither male nor female) thought us into existence. And, we agreed to be here for the purpose of growth, to better understand ourselves and to temporarily cut ourselves off from the Creator to better understand them.
In time, you will realize this. I write this with confidence because I know that those who truly want to be free, to live good lives, and to give back in an enriching way to society (and feel great, healthy, and wise because of it!) DO have the power to make such a reality known. My goal is to publish more content that educates in this department to help you and many, many more people take health, happiness, and creative potential into your own hands.
Love and light,
