Guest Post on Paleo Parents: Kale and Lime Cupcakes with Whipped Coconut Cream

Kale. Coconut. Cake. These are definitely a few of my favourite things!

Kale and Lime Cupcakes with Whipped Coconut Cream

When the lovely people at Paleo Parents agreed for me to feature a guest post I was over the moon with excitement. Then I was struck with the dilemma of choosing just ONE recipe!

After much to-ing and fro-ing I settled on the one that encompasses how I feel about the food I choose to cook and eat every day: healthful, tasty, pretty and unconventional.Thank you again to Paleo Parents for featuring my recipe - you can go check it here Guest Post Kale and Lime Cupcakes

These are dense and squidgy cakes - a perfect after-school snack for hungry children. Satisfying and nutritious, packed with antioxidants, vitamin C and calcium from the kale, yet with the taste and look of a standard ‘treat’ food.

It is entirely free of refined sugar and sweetened only with unadulterated pureed apples, though there is the option to add a little coconut sugar if preferred. They are super quick to make and taste just as good without the coconut cream if pressed for time or packing them in a lunchbox.

If you haven’t any limes to hand they can be substituted with the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Likewise, instead of seeds, feel free to substitute with ¼ cup of chopped nuts or dried fruit of choice (or even chocolate chips).

My 5 year old especially thinks it’s cool that they’re green like a Ninja Turtle!

Kale and Lime Cupcakes with Whipped Coconut Cream

Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-free

Makes 12 small cakes

Ingredients:

Cakes:

2 packed cups (100g) kale leaves, woody stalks removed, washed and dried

½ cup unsweetened apple puree*

1 medium ripe avocado flesh
2 medium eggs
zest and juice of 2 limes (or 1 lemon if preferred)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup (100g) ground almonds
¼ cup (25g) coconut flour
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or 1 tsp baking powder)
¼ cup (35g) mixed raw unsalted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, linseed)
optional: 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (as above)

Coconut Cream:

1 can coconut milk, refrigerated

zest of half a lime
optional: 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

               

* To make apple puree, see my simple recipe here, but peel the apples and omit the cinnamon for this recipe so that the colour of the cakes is not affected:

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius, 350 degrees farenheit.

2. Line a baking sheet with silicone muffin cases (or lightly grease a regular muffin tray with coconut oil).

3. Steam kale for a few minutes until just wilted then squeeze dry and set aside. It will look like a green golf ball.

4. Mix together ground almonds, coconut flour, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar (or baking powder if using), salt and lime zest (and coconut sugar if using) in a bowl.

5. In a high powered blender (I use a Nutribullet) add the reserved kale, apple puree, avocado, eggs, lime juice and vanilla extract. Blend until a smooth green puree. It may not be possible to be entirely devoid of all fibrous kale stringy bits but don’t worry too much. A food processor tends to leave bigger green ‘pieces’ whereas a blender gives a more even green mix.

6. Melt the coconut oil and add to the blender giving it a final blend to combine.

7. Pour the blended green mix to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well to combine.

8. Add mixed seeds and fold through.

9. Spoon and divide mixture evenly into prepared muffin cases, smoothing the tops.

10. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until starting to colour on top and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

11. Allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before piping with coconut cream.

12. To make whipped coconut cream, scoop the solid part of cream from the refrigerated can of coconut milk. Whip until fluffy in freestanding mixer with balloon whisk attachment or just use a hand whisk and some elbow grease!

13. Gently fold through the lime zest and honey or maple syrup if using before spooning into a piping bag and piping onto completely cooled cakes just before serving.