Gluten-Free Strawberry Cupcakes and Strawberry Meringue Frosting
by Alice Currah on Aug 28, 2011
Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour. Copyright © 2011 by Elana Amsterdam, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Annabelle Breakey.
- Prep time
- 10 minutes
- Total time
- 35 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
Tags
Ingredients
- STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES:
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
- STRAWBERRY MERINGUE FROSTING:
- 1/4 cup agave nectar
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh strawberries
Instructions
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For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.
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In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, agave nectar, and vanilla extract. Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then fold in the strawberries.
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Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup.
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Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 hour, then frost and serve.
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For the frosting: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the agave nectar to a boil, stirring constantly. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, watching constantly and stirring occasionally, until the agave nectar darkens slightly from its original amber color, then remove from the heat and set aside.
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In a deep bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks using a handheld mixer. Be sure to push the beaters around the bowl to incorporate air into the whites. This step is important; if your egg whites are not whipped to stiff peaks, the recipe won’t work. Stop whipping as soon as the egg whites are stiff; overwhipping will result in egg whites that are dry and grainy. The foam of the whites will be stiff enough to stand up in well-defined, unwavering peaks.
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Drizzle the warm agave nectar very slowly into the egg whites, while whipping with a handheld mixer, to keep the peaks stiff. The meringue will become pearlescent and shiny.
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Allow to cool to room temperature, then fold the strawberries into the meringue. Use right away.