Well last night I took a swing at making non-butter laden icing and the results were mixed. I saw my first idea on another food blog (can’t remember which) and I combined hocolate Jell-O Pudding and Dream Whip together. If you’ve ever had “Pudding in a Cloud” you know this is rather yummy. I experimented with piping it, but it doesn’t hold it’s shape well so I suggest just slathering it on. I have been eating mostly real, unprocessed food for the last year and a half so I wasn’t too keen on this recipe because I can taste that it’s from a box.
My second idea was simply to replace the butter in buttercream icing recipes with margarine instead. The trouble is, some margarines contain trans fat and a lot of salt. I used Becel brand, salt free margarine which is tran sfat and cholesterol free and I was pleasantly surprised. I can taste that margarine aftertaste but after a few test cupcakes I kind of got used to it. It can be piped like real buttercream.
The cupcake recipe was Martha Stewart’s Allergen Free Chocolate Cupcakes. I’ve never made it before because it calls for cake flour, but last week I finally broke down and got some. The cake really does seem softer yet still holds together well. I think it’s going to replace my Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes recipe.
To give you an idea of the health ramifications of butter vs. becel here’s a breakdown:
2 teaspoons of becel has 70 calories, 8g of fat – 1 g is saturated fat.
2 teaspoons of butter has 72 calories, 8g of fat – 3g are saturated fat.
MayoClinic.com states that the recommended intake of total fat for adults is between 44 and 78 g of total fat per day. You should limit your saturated fat intake to 15 g per day. Trans fat should be limited to 2 g per day.
I would guesstimate that one cupcake has about a teaspoon or so of butter in the icing, and if I eat 3 in one sitting I’m getting nearly 1/3 of my total saturated fat for the day! It’s best not to think of these things in hindsight. Tomorrow is another day, right Scarlett?
Chocolate Buttercream Icing
3 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup butter or trans fat free margarine
2 tsp vanilla
3 ounces of semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
3-4 tbsp milk
Cream icing suguar and butter, mix in vanilla and chocolate. Gradually add enough milk to make icing spreadable.
Allergen Free Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus one tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups water
Preheat oven to350 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
With electric mixer on medium-high speed, mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla and water until well combined. Add flour mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Batter will be very thin).
Divide batter among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake, rotating halfway, until cake tester into centres comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Remove cupcakes and cool on wire rack. They can be stored at room temperature in airtight container for 3 days, or frozen up to one month.
Heather's Homemade 