Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Soft, buttery, vanilla-scented cupcakes made spritzy with lemon and crunchy with poppyseeds. Top them with some creamy cheesecake frosting . . . hungry yet?

I actually planned to make these with standard plain flour, but my pantry disagreed. I feel almost criminal for not having this staple on hand! Then again, I’m stocked to the brim with much healthier alternatives.

Enter coconut flour. With heaps of fibre and a bit of protein, it’s a great alternative to that overly refined white flour. Butter and cream cheese add enough fat that you’ll most likely be full after just one.

Not to say you should eat just one.

This recipe can be gluten-free and nut-free.

Makes 12

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

– 200 grams butter, softened (I used salted)

– 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

– 1 teaspoon lemon zest

– 4-5 Tablespoons dextrose, to taste

– 3 eggs

– 1 cup coconut flour

– 3 teaspoons baking powder

– 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence

– 1 1/3 cups milk

– 1 rounded Tablespoon poppy seeds

– 250 grams cream cheese, softened

– 3 Tablespoons dextrose, extra, to taste

– juice of half a lemon, extra

– splash vanilla essence, extra

– 3 Tablespoons cream

– lemon rind, to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with patty cases.

2. Place the butter, lemon juice and zest, and dextrose in a food processor. Blitz until creamy. Add the eggs and process, followed by the coconut flour, baking powder, vanilla, and milk. Blitz in the seeds.

3. Scoop the mixture evenly into the patty cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted skewer emerges clean. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together the cream cheese, extra lemon juice and  dextrose in a bowl. Add the vanilla and cream, whisking until smooth.

5. When the cupcakes are cold, pipe on the cheesecake frosting and garnish with lemon rind. Enjoy! 🙂