People love Red Velvet.
But why does it have to only be red velvet? What about green velvet, purple velvet, or—dare I say it—blue velvet? When I was asked to make cupcakes for a boy baby shower, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at blue velvet cupcakes. However, two problems existed: One, I wanted the cupcakes to be natural (no blue food coloring). And two, I didn’t have a healthy chocolate cupcake recipe!
EDIT: There is finally now also a Healthy Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe.
Experiments are always fun when they include chocolate, because you get to eat the not-so-perfect trials. (Fortunately and unfortunately for me, I got this cupcake recipe right on the first try.) At first, I’d planned to use a recipe straight from the cookbook, VCTOTW. But as I worked, I changed it up completely!
Blue Velvet Cupcakes
(healthy and low-fat!)
- 1 cup spelt or white flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar of choice
- 1 and 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup yogurt (I used SoDelicious plain coconut)
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1/2 cup blueberries (60 grams)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash or puree the blueberries (or just leave ’em whole). Mix dry ingredients, then add in wet. Don’t overmix. Pour into 12 cupcake liners, and bake 22-24 minutes. The blueberries didn’t exactly turn the cupcakes blue; but they are blue in spirit… and when you bite into one, you can see the blue from those lovely–and antioxidant-packed–berries.
Click for notes about a fat-free version.
Since I wasn’t really a guest at the shower, I didn’t eat one of the final-product cupcakes. However, I did eat an unfrosted one (straight out of the oven) that morning as part of my breakfast! Someone had to be a taste-tester, right?
The Icing on the Cake
2013 EDIT: I frosted the cupcakes with Pillsbury (surprisingly vegan), but if I were to make them again I would use my new favorite frosting of choice: Vegan Cool Whip. Just add a blueberry or two for a vibrant frosting.
Blue velvet cupcakes. How clever! I just happen to have blueberries in the fridge right now so maybe I should give this recipe a shot?! I hope to have kids one day but right now, it sounds so scarrrrrry. I will name my baby after a country, fruit or a piece of food 😉
Name them ‘Brazil Nut’ and kill two birds with one stone! 😉
Love this recipe!
I tell myself that if I want to have kids, I should probably try to do it by 35, but that’s only ten years from now! I’ll be done with my masters and RD-training in a little less than two years, so I figure that will be a good time to check back in.
Mmmmmm…looks delicious. I can’t wait to try them out.
I already have one child (Elli) who is 8 months. I would love to have at least one more. She has a healthy appetite and so far loves everything. A future taste-tester will be fantastic for me.
Beautiful cupcakes! I appreciate that you didn’t resort to using food coloring.
I absolutely want to have kids… and hopefully sometime soon. My husband and I have been married for two years, I’m two years shy of 30, and we’re settled in this area – it’s time ;). I like Jack for a boy, and Lily for a girl. I used to love the name Isabella, but there are so many now thanks to Twilight!
Blueberries sound so good in a cupcake!
I do not have children yet (well.. I mean.. by birth. I consider my 17 students to all be my children ;))
I definitely want them someday though! I can’t wait to be a mother!
Being a mom is my biggest life goal. I love kids and can’t wait to raise my own! I’d love three- two boys and a girl. Because I think boys are easier to raise during the teen years, but I’d still love a girl to have the mother-daughter bond with!!
These are so pretty, love the icing! I definitely want to have kids, probably somewhere in the next 5-10 years. My husband and I are those crazy people who have already named all our children like waaaayyy before they’re born! HAHA! Who knows if we’ll stick with them once they’re actually born, but we’ll see I guess! 🙂
I have always wanted to me a mom, since I can remember! Maybe adoption, maybe kids of my own, but def being a mommy in the future.
I’ve always wanted to a mother. I played with dolls until I was 15 years old, and on my 14th christmas I got a real babies pram to play with with my ‘babies’. Crazy. I love alot of names, espescially girls. Clara, Eden, Cadence, Talullah, Georgie, Jazelle, Hanna, Lucie….okay, yes i’ll stop- there are loads. My mum is called Claire though so i’m hoping to call my first daughter Clara. As for boys names I really like Robert, Leo, and Louis! 🙂
Aww Clara reminds me of the pretty girl in the Nutcracker!
Katie! Where were you when I was making my BFF’s baby shower cake?! she’s having a boy and I made a Strawberry Chantilly. Bright pink. Haha! It was good though!
If you can vegan-ize it and make it blue, I’ll be forever impressed/indebted/will bring it to her son’s birth. His name will be Jackson – isn’t that cute?!
I don’t want kids, but my bestie’s child is going to be “mine.” He’s already the recipient of a running stroller for me to cart him around in. 🙂
LOL maybe I should’ve made your strawberry dessert for this baby shower. The doctor says the girl is having a boy, but my mom swears she is going to have a girl b/c of how she’s carrying her belly.