Imagine thick, sweet, creamy cream cheese lathered on top of a moist, crumbly red velvet cupcake….
Are you drooling yet?
Well if you are like me and a delicious red velvet cupcake is something you like to indulge in every now and then then this is the recipe for you. I LOVE red velvet cupcakes because it’s a break from the usual chocolate cupcake with its tangyness that is so iconic of a red velvet cupcake.
I decided to make mini red velvet cuppycakes for our thanksgiving table because we were having other desserts as well, so I figured people would be able to try a little bit of everything if the serving size was a bit smaller. These were quite a hit, and most people weren’t only able to eat just one!
I adapted this recipe from dashingdish.com and the frosting recipe is something I concocted on my own. Although I like the tang of cream cheese frosting, I also like my frosting a little on the sweet side, which is what I was able to achieve with this lower calorie version. The reason it is lower in calories is because I used 1/3 the fat cream cheese, and also I opted to not use butter as most recipes call for. Even when I’m making regular, full fat cream cheese frosting I generally don’t use butter because I can’t taste much of difference. The cupcake recipe was great! Very moist, and the flavor was almost exact. Topped with frosting you can’t tell the difference!
Skinny Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from dashingdish.com, original recipe link: click here
Servings 26
Calories: Unfrosted Cupcake- 60, Frosted Cupcake- 86
Fat: 1.6 g (Frosted)
1/2 of a (16 oz) Boxed cake mix – white
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp reduced fat buttermilk (1/2 cup + 1tbsp 1% milk w/ 1tbsp lemon juice)
1/4 cup plain chobani (fat free)
1 + 1/2 egg whites (hard to do, but not impossible!)
1/2 of a large of sugar free, fat free cheesecake pudding mix (non-bake)
1 tbsp unsweetened Hersey’s cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp red food coloring
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini baking pan with liners.
2. Mix all ingredients above in a stand mix until smooth.
3. Scoop batter into liners about 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 8 minutes, and then check every minute until a tooth pick comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool.
Skinny Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1/4 cup + 2tbsp (1/3 fat) cream cheese, softened
3/4 + 2 tbsp cups powdered sugar
1/4 + 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. Mix until smooth in a beater.
2. Frost cupcakes.
These cupcakes are super yummy, and take no time to make! If you are looking to make small treats for your holiday table, or for a birthday party these would be fabulous! Enjoy all the deliciousness without all the fat, and calories of a traditional red velvet cuppycake!
