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I came up with this recipe for red velvet cupcakes, which remain satisfyingly large, yet have just 98 calories and under than 3 grams of fat each. Compare that to the standard cupcake, which can crash in with 513 calories and 26 grams of fat.
Red velvet cake has been around for decades. It started as the signature dessert at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. The cake had always captured my heart. But for dieting it plays hard to get. I wanted to come up with an adaption that would capture the richness of its namesake (minus the butter, sugar and white flour).
Red velvet cake is a very mild chocolate cake, but it is chocolate cake nonetheless. And yes, it is red. Unsweetened cocoa powder and natural red food coloring round out the tradition in this recipe. As for healthing it up: I did that with some simple but tasty substitutions you can try with just about any baked good. Here are the key changes:
• Whole-wheat pastry flour and flaxseed meal
Both are used to replace nutritionally bankrupt white flour. Whole-wheat pastry flour lends a light, fluffy texture to the cake. Add flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds) and you’ve got a cupcake high in omega 3’s, protein and both insoluble and soluble fiber. Flaxseed meal is a dieter’s dream, as it helps you feel full. Look for it in the natural or bulk sections of the grocer, as well as in the baking aisle.
• Stevia and agave syrup
Both replace the sugar, while cutting calories. Stevia is an herb known for its natural (and intense) sweetness with zero calories. It bakes beautifully. Agave is a honey-like sweetener that is sweeter than sugar, so you don’t need to use much. And make sure you buy raw agave, some are highly processed.
Red velvet cake traditionally is served with a cream cheese frosting, and I haven’t veered from tradition. After your cakes have cooled, you’ll frost them with a mixture of sugar-free vanilla pudding and low-fat cream cheese (this takes mere seconds to whip together). The frosting has a nice sweet flavor and hardly any calories. Trust me, for anyone in your family who prefers their desserts as decadent as they come, they won’t be disappointed!
Oh, and while you’re making these yummy red velvet cupcakes, it’s OK if I catch you licking the bowl or with a finger in your mouth. This isn’t your grandmother’s red velvet cake.
Rocco DiSpirito is author of the “Now Eat This!” and “Now Eat This! Diet” cookbooks.
• Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder and 1 packet of stevia sweetener to frosting for chocolate frosting. It adds just 1 calorie per cupcake.
• Spraying paper liners with nonstick spray keeps low-fat cupcakes, such as these, from sticking to the paper.
• These cupcakes also can be “baked” in the microwave. Place paper muffin liners in four 6-ounce microwave-safe custard cups. Spray papers and custard cups lightly with cooking spray. Spoon batter into paper liners. Microwave on 50 percent power (medium) for 1 minute and 20 seconds to 4 minutes, or until the tops feel just firm when lightly touched. Cupcakes will puff up while cooking and deflate when the microwave stops. Carefully remove cupcakes from custard cups right away and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Microwaves vary in cooking power – be sure to watch carefully as you cook.
