Vanilla Cupcakes

This is one of my first recipes that started all my craziness of baking with whole foods. When I discovered that whole foods, a little sweetener, and my food processor made the most delicious treats, I became a bit obsessed! With coconut and almond flour readily available now, most of my recipes can simply be made using the blender. So, for those of you who don't want to pull out the food processor, you're in luck! Often, as with this recipe, I still like to use shredded coconut rather than the de-fatted flour, because I love the taste and the natural oil that comes with it. My high-speed blender also blends it so fine there's not that 'texture thing'. Even though our mix makes a mean cupcake, it's still fun to make them from scratch once and awhile!

BLENDER INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups peeled, roughly chopped zucchini

1 cup roughly chopped yellow/white sweet potato

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup shredded coconut

DRY INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 cup sweetener such as Swerve or 1 teaspoon stevia or pure monk fruit

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

2. Add the Blender Ingredients to your blender in the order listed and blend until smooth.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the Dry Ingredients.

3. Pour the contents of the blender into the bowl and whisk to combine. Batter will be thick.

4. Use an ice-cream scooper to divide the batter between the cups.

5. Use the back of a spoon or your fingertip to smooth the tops.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Fill with raspberry jam and frost with the frosting below.

FROSTING

One 3-inch section of a barely ripe banana (you can't taste it)

2/3 cup heavy cream or coconut cream

1/2 cup soft butter or palm shortening

1/3 cup egg white powder (optional, but I like)

1/2 teaspoon pure monk fruit or stevia

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Add everything to a mini food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Refrigerate until firm enough to frost.

NOTES: You can probably use flax or chia 'eggs' in the cupcakes, though I haven't tried it yet.

*We encourage the use of organic ingredients from sustainable sources and animal products that have been humanely, pasture-raised and grass-fed. Find the brands we use most here.