This week my sweet little boy had his seventh birthday and we managed to stretch it out into a whole week celebrating with 3 separate treats that I can’t wait to share with you. I was kinda sneaky and made these white whole wheat cupcakes for the family get together without telling anyone that they were whole wheat… like a secret test of their unknowing approval of “healthy” cupcakes.
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Because, don’t you ever feel that sometimes people go in with a negative mindset prejudging a “nutritious” dish as being inferior without even tasting?
But, all those fears amounted to nothing and they were an absolute hit. The cupcakes had almost an apple spice cake type flavor which was absolutely delicious when paired with the fluffy, maple buttercream frosting. Even the teen of the family wanted seconds. And, the important boy of the day thought they were delicious and in the end it is all about the birthday boy, isn’t it?
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 3/4 t baking soda
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/8 t salt
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- MAPLE FROSTING
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2T cornstarch
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 t vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cream the honey and butter until well combined. Stir in the egg. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients and applesauce alternately until everything is well mixed. Bake in lined or well greased muffin tins at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.
- TO MAKE FROSTING:
- In a small saucepan mix the milk and cornstarch until they are dissolved. Add the syrup and using a fork or whisk, stir the mixture over medium heat until it is thick. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, cream the butter and vanilla until they are well mixed and then beat in the cooled syrup mixture. Beat on high until the frosting is fluffy.
- Store cupcakes in refrigerator.
- Recipe adapted from The Family Homestead
Love love love this healthier option – especially for a celebration. Pinned!!
Thanks!
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them :)
Thanks, Halle.
You always get me excited with your naturally sweetened treats. Thanks for sharing this!
You always say the sweetest things. Thanks, France :)
I love your website,It makes me want to try everything :) These whole wheat applesauce cupcakes look amazing!!!!!!
Thanks, Jessica. Hope to see you around and I’m glad you’ve found some recipes that sound good :)
YUM! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Allison!
These sound really good! I’ve made maple-based frosting in the past, but I haven’t found a good non-refined sugar cake recipe. I’ll have to try this.
Hope you enjoy it, Amy. We thought it was very good, but definitely not like a white cake with a super sweet taste. It has more of a subtle sweetness.
What a lovely sounding recipe with flavors that are made for each other.
Thanks. Lisa :)
beautiful pictures katie…so light and fresh looking! A great recipe that shows how easy it is to make foods more healthy for you! Thanks for sharing with us on AFW again!
Sounds great! Thanks for the recipe.
Could you replace the honey with maple syrup in the cake? I was going to make these for my son’s 1st birthday but am afraid of using honey since some attendees will be a little shy of 12 months.
Amber, I think maple syrup would work perfectly. Have fun with that special 1st birthday :)
Katie
I love your addition of maple syrup- it’s extraordinarily good for you too! Rebecca @ Natural Mothers Network x
I love this frosting recipe – defnitely going to try it. I’m always looking for frosting recipes that don’t have powdered sugar. Thanks for sharing at Healthy 2Day Wednesday and come back tomorrow to see if you were featured!
Thanks, Anne. Hope you enjoy the frosting :)
I tried to make the frosting last night, but we are a dairy-free family. I subbed coconut milk for the milk in the frosting recipe, and it turned out completely liquidy…like a drink. Any suggestions?
I don’t have any idea how to make it dairy free. Sorry!
These sound so yummy and healthy! I have whole wheat flour, but not WHITE whole wheat flour…do you know if it would be fine to use in this recipe? Also, I have sugar-free syrup…maple flavored, but not real maple syrup…could this be used without compromising the flavor, do you think???
You can use whole wheat flour, Judy. It will simple produce a more dense cupcake. The white whole wheat is more of the texture of all purpose flour.
As far as the sugar-free maple syrup, I honestly have no idea if it would work as I have never tasted or used it. I do think that it would taste best with real maple syrup.
Have a great day!
I just made these and the cupcakes turned out delish!!! My frosting didn’t get as thick as i wanted it to, so I used the rest of a can of buttercream icing and added it to it to thicken and yummm!! Thanks for this recipe!
Awesome. Thanks for the feedback, Harley. Glad to hear you all liked them :)
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
These cupcakes sound delicious, and I really like the fact they’re healthier, too! I may have to make them soon!:)
Blessings,
Leslie
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