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 1/2Â 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.
Too cute! I’ve always wondered why it had to be red, too!
I definitely could be perfectly happy never having kids. I think working in the preschool ruined them for me! I may be able to handle one – years down the road, of course – but I’m not exactly overflowing with maternal instincts, so I’d have to come a long way from where I am right now to consider it!
I think you’ve outdone yourself this time! They are so cute! I think one day I would love to have children, but for right now, I am happy to be a career gal 🙂
Great job! A Blue Velvet cupcakes made from Blue Berry. But is there any way to make the cupcake itself to turn blue without using any food coloring?
Maybe if you didn’t use the cocoa, the blue from the blueberries would be more prominent? (Add an equal amount more flour for the omitted cocoa powder.) I can’t really think of any other ways… except to make your guests wear blue-tinted glasses ;).
Wow, those cupcakes are soo cute!
I really want a family someday, but first I need to find a good houstband 😉 I love names from The Bible, like Benjamin (my favorit), Lucas and Noah
I don’t really plan on having kids, but I’ve always loved the name Aurora for a girl. I don’t know what name I’d like for a boy though. I think of names I like all the time but none of them have stuck with me enough to remember them!
I must be an odd one as I’ve never wanted kids. Just happy to be childfree and spoil my nieces and nephews and of course, my furry boy. I’m 37 now and still no tick tock.
How cute! They look delicious
Those are too cute! Adding the blueberries was a great idea!
I want one kid. I’m so set on that I’ll probably end up with identical triplets or something. My husband and I can never agree on names! We both want something not too popular, but not completely made-up, either. We like Autumn for a girl, but what if she’s born in the summer?
this is a great idea since i have everything on hand for once, i might try it this weekend. i love cupcakes 🙂
Also, yeah thinking about kids, certainly not now, for two reasons, but hopefully later, depending on what options are available. I have my heart set on at least one girl, because I want to name a child after my favorite anime character, Tima. I also like Antonella, which is my beef’s sister’s name. For a boy, I have a solid Charles; I’m unsure what else I would like.