REAL Delicious Cupcakes

Who doesn't love cupcakes? They are much easier and more fun to eat than cake, and of course they are super cute. I want to apologize for taking so long to post this recipe. I tested out a few recipes before I managed to come up with the perfect one. I wrote down each recipe on a note cards and then I misplaced the them during all the commotion of studying for law school mid-terms. After spending most of this week cleaning and organizing, I finally found the "perfect one" note card and am so excited to share this recipe with you all. These cupcakes are 100% REAL food. There are no preservatives in the cupcakes or frosting and all ingredients are completely natural. 

Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Sticks or 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
• 1.5 Cups Honey
• 4 Eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Hand mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a liquid-measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla and set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and honey in a large bowl (about 4 minutes).
5.  Add eggs one at a time to the beaten butter and honey. Mix well after each addition.
6. Slowly add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the beaten butter and honey. Next add the milk and vanilla mixture followed by the remaining dry ingredients.
7. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean (20-25 minutes).
8. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a rack before frosting.

This recipe makes flat top cupcakes, which are perfect for frosting.

 Frosting 

Ingredients

• 2 8oz packages Cream Cheese (room temperature)
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/3 Cup Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Almond Milk

Directions 

Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Suggestions

Whole milk, 2% milk, or skim milk can be used instead of almond milk.

To prevent over baking, check the cupcakes after 20 minutes. If they are not ready then check after each additional minute.

Use a Ziploc bag to frost the cupcakes. Fill the bag with frosting and cut a small hole in the corner to dispense the frosting.  

Store cupcakes in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Greek Yogurt and Pure Liquid Whey

Greek yogurt has double the protein of regular yogurt, but it is also more than double the price. That seems way too much when the only difference is that Greek yogurt is strained three times, while regular yogurt is only strained twice after the cooking process. An easy way to save money on Greek yogurt is to buy regular yogurt and strain it yourself. 

Straining is very easy, and only requires a few simple household items: a large bowl, mesh strainer, and coffee filter or cheesecloth. Place the mesh strainer over the bowl, line with either the coffee filter or cheesecloth, and empty the yogurt carton into the lined mesh strainer. Place the yogurt in the fridge and let it strain overnight. 

Yogurt After Straining

Another added benefit of straining the yogurt yourself, is that you also get the liquid whey left behind after straining. Pure liquid whey contains 4 of the most important minerals for the body (potassium, calcium, magnesium & phosphorous), and all 10 essential amino acids. There are 20 amino acids, 10 essential and 10 non-essential. Both are important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but the human body cannot produce the essential amino acids. The only way we can obtain the 10 essential amino acids is through food consumption, which is why pure liquid whey is a great addition to your diet. 

Pure Liquid Whey

From each 32oz carton of yogurt, I end up with a little less than 2 cups of liquid whey. Although the protein count of liquid whey is not nearly as high as that of whey protein powder, it is a very nutritious and most of all natural product that can be used so many recipes, such as smoothies, soups, baked goods, or pancake/waffle batter. I freeze the whey in silicone bake wear overnight. Then, remove the whey cubes and place them in a Ziploc bag for long term storage in the freezer. 

Individual Greek Yogurt Cups

I pay $2 for a 32oz carton of plain yogurt. After straining I am left with about 20oz of yogurt. At the same grocery store a 32oz carton of Chobani Greek yogurt is $6.49. The price of my Greek yogurt is $0.10 per oz, while the Chobani is $0.20 per oz. To some people a savings of $0.10 per oz might not seem like much, but I eat at least a cup of Greek yogurt a day, and by making my own I save $5.60 per week or $291.20 per year. If you factor in the cost of whey protein powder as well the savings is significantly more.

Tips

If you happen to forget about the yogurt, and it ends up too strained for your liking, then simply mix some of the liquid whey into the strained yogurt.

It is important to buy plain yogurt to ensure there aren’t any unnecessary added sugars or preservatives. Plain yogurt will also prevent the liquid whey from ending up flavored, which would limit the recipes that you could later use it in.

An easy way to make flavored yogurt is to use plain yogurt and add frozen fruit. If you prefer your yogurt to be sweeter then add vanilla extract and honey to the yogurt and fruit. Allow the mixture to thaw in the fridge overnight, and thoroughly mix before eating.