Gluten-Free Blue Velvet Cupcakes w/ Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

These delicious blue velvet cupcakes are filled with antioxidant and fibre rich blueberries, beetroot and apples. These healthy afternoon treats are a great way to increase your antioxidant intake. Antioxidants are an important part of any diet to help neutralise free radical damage in the body and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Gluten-free Blue Velvet Cupcakes w/ Blueberry Cream Cheese

1½ cups almond meal
¼ cup raw cacao powder
Pinch sea salt
¼ tsp baking soda
2 organic eggs
3 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
¼ cup raw honey
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or essence
190g raw beetroot (around 1 medium beet), finely grated
1 large apple, peeled & finely grated
½ cup halved blueberries
Frosting:
90 g blueberries
225g cream cheese
2 Tbsp raw honey

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Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170ºC. Place cupcake cases in tin cupcake tray or use a silicon cupcake tray.
2. In a large bowl combine almond meal, salt, cacao, and baking soda.
3.  In a small bowl combine eggs, coconut oil, honey and vanilla.
4. Pour egg mixture into your dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
5. Stir through grated beetroot, apple and then fold through blueberries.
6. Pour mixture into cupcake cases and cook for around 40 - 45mins, until skewer comes out cleanly from centre.
7. To make the frosting place blueberries in a small saucepan over medium heat and mash up with a fork until you have a puree like consistency. Spoon puree into a small mesh strainer and press with the back of a spoon so you end up with a puree without any lumpy pieces.
8. Place room temperature cream cheese and honey in a small mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add in blueberry puree one spoonful at a time until you get the desired colour you want.
9. Allow your cakes to cool completely before piping on the frosting and decorate with some blueberries and fresh lavender. Keep leftover cakes in the fridge.

Makes 10 cupcakes.

TEA PAIRING: These delectable red velvet beetroot cupcakes pair perfectly with our Bodhi Organic ZesTEA and ViridiTEA.

Recipe by naturopath Lisa Guy.