Vanilla Berry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Pastry Buttercream
Holy hells, now that’s a long name. But I’m not good with the catchy names like “bursting berry 4th of july cupcakes” because then how in the hell are you suppose to know what goes into this cupcake with that stupid name, eh?! Riddle me that. I want you to know that this cupcake is a vanilla cupcake with a vanilla bean pastry cream buttercream (yes, lots of creamy cream) topped with sexy little fresh berries. And non-edible flowers. Well, I guess you could eat them, but that’s gross. Don’t do it.
So here’s the thing about this cupcake BEFORE YOU GO FREAKING OUT ON ME, this frosting is made with butter. Real, grass fed butter. And organic powdered sugar. Because honestly, have you tried paleo frostings? They’re bullsh*t. It’s just not the same. And since many people don’t have as many issues with dairy (as they do with grains and gluten), I’ve included it in this recipe. Just FYI, I probably have less than 5 recipes out of 650 recipes that include dairy in them, so no need to be upset if you can’t have dairy. Just don’t make these then. And make one of my other 645 recipes without dairy. Boom.
But enough about frosting, let’s talk about what is really important here: JoJo’s crazy beautiful blue dress from the rose ceremony the other night. I want that dress. I have nothing to wear it for, but I need it right now. To hang in my closet. I want to get married again and wear that dress. Is that weird? It’s fine.
I’m kind of over the bachelorette. Are you over it, too? I don’t know why, I just feel like nothing is happening every episode. It feels like they just drag out scenes that don’t need to be dragged out. And then I get bored and start searching pinterest for backyard design inspiration. And when I come back to the show, nothing has happened. It’s TOTALLY like a daytime drama. It’s a reality soap opera! Someone has probably already made that same comparison but I pretty much think I’m a genius right now.
How sad was Wells’ date? He built his first kiss up to be such a big deal while Jordan was dry humping her in the room right next to him just one episode back. We all knew he was doomed. When you’re sliding around on some sort of tarp that makes it seem like you’re in a KY commercial and you still can’t even make the move, you’re done with. JoJo ain’t about that, bruh. But the worst part by far was when JoJo broke up with Wells before he even ate his dinner. That’s just below the belt, JoJo. That may have been the prettiest steak I ever laid eyes on and it just sat there cold while JoJo cried and laughed in the KY commercial again without Wells. Shame. Shame. Shame. (name that show!!)
Did anyone else notice Wells’ suitcase? It was a homeless sack. What an odd choice.
Poor James Taylor questioning himself, he’s a stud. Wait, that’s his name right? Or is it Rascal Flats? I always get them messed up. He just has no confidence right now. I get it, James boy, Jordan’s hair is astonishingly shiny and has more volume than I’ve ever seen on a male. And yes, Luke may be the most bruiting, hunky, hot mofo out there, but you got stuff, too! He said so himself that he may not be the fittest or best looking or smartest….I think he kept going but I blocked him out. We get it, you don’t have much to offer, but fake it til you make it, my man! Or stop eating pizza. Your destiny is up to you.
Remember when Jim Halpert…I mean Derek, got kicked off and cried. Poor guy. He probably cried for 3 seconds and they made it seem like soooooo long while the Argentina chick sang ” Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” Low blow, ABC, low blow. That date was so miserable to watch. I think a full 10 minutes was spent with JoJo dancing back and fourth and back and fourth between the two dudes as Derek bragged about being so confident in their love for each other. Whenever someone brags about how much chemistry they have with that person, they’re totally getting the boot. I’m pretty sure that’s in the ABC contract: You boast, you die. Something along those lines.
I’m hoping that things get a little more interesting next week. Keeping the military guy and Rascal Flats was just boring. We all know they aren’t going to make it, why hold off on the inevitable. I think it’s going to be between Jordan and Luke in the end. Who do you think it’s going to be?!
Vanilla Berry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Pastry Buttercream
- Author: juli
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10-11 cupcakes 1x
Ingredients
- For the cupcakes:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup maple sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the vanilla bean pastry buttercream:
- 3/4 cup pastry cream* (completely cooled)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted grass fed butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- For toppings:
- 1/3 cup raspberries
- 1/3 cup blueberries
- 1/3 cup blackberries
- powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)
- mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with 10-11 paper liners.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flours, maple sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, ghee, coconut milk and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Batter should be slightly thick.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into 10 or 11 lined muffin cups (or silicone muffin cups). Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Place cupcakes on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the buttercream frosting
- (Make pastry cream if you haven’t already and let cool completely) Place the softened butter in a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment. Whip on high speed until fluffy, scraping down the sides every minute or so, about 5 to 7 minutes—the longer, the better. Add the vanilla extract and coconut milk and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until fully combined.
- Turn the mixer off, add 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar, and then turn on the mixer and process to combine. Repeat until all the powdered sugar has been added and the frosting is thoroughly whipped.
- Lastly, add pastry cream and whip for another 1-2 minutes on high speed until completely combine and thick. If not using immediately, store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For the best consistency, bring the buttercream to room temperature and rewhip it in a stand mixer before using.
Build the cupcake
- Frost each cupcake, top with however many berries you prefer and sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar on top and also a mint leaf!
- Store in fridge but be sure to let come to room temperature before serving to soften the frosting!
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You May Also Like:
Mixed Berry Vanilla Bean Cream Tarts
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55 thoughts on “Vanilla Berry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Pastry Buttercream”
These look fab! I just ordered your cookbook and I can’t wait to get it!! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes and love reading your blog. You are wonderful, keep up the great work!
yay!! hope you love the book, Tanya!! you rock!!
Poor little Wells! But we all knew he wasn’t going to make it. I HOPE it’s between Jordan and Chase. But she will pick Chase because she knows Jordan is shady. Then Jordan will become the next Bachelor. Boom. Done. p.s. I totally want to make ALL of your 4th of July treats and I MIGHT.
that deeeeefinitely makes sense!
I think you’re right – it will come down to Luke or Jordan. I am not a fan of Jordan, but I think it’s unfair that everyone is accusing of being on the show for fame – aren’t they all on the show for at least a little bit of fame? I understand that what you’re saying about Wells, but I think he was actually honest to JoJo about being skeptical about the show and why his past relationship didn’t work out. Maybe it’s because it takes me a long time to open up to people – but that conversation would sound better and more ‘real’ to me than Robby confessing to her that he ‘loves’ her already. Also agree that James Taylor is a stud! I can imagine being on the show brings out a ton of personal insecurities. That’s being said, as JoJo said, her chemistry with Luke is off the hook. Luke is still my favorite for JoJo. This is the first season of the Bachelorette/Bachelor that I have watched and I am totally hooked! I am surprised to hear that this season is boring you – I should have started watching this show earlier! I should go back and watch past seasons.
I think its going to be either Jordan and Luke or Jordan and Robby in the end. I know you think Robby is clingy, but I think he actually seems really sweet and I think he loves her more than Jordan does. And I think she will not choose Jordan because she keeps getting a bad gut feeling from him that he’s not being totally open with her. And honestly, why is Alex still around?? He hasn’t even been on a one-on-one yet, clearly she isn’t that interested in him. Idk, I think she just couldn’t send him home because she feels like she hasn’t gotten to know him yet and she doesn’t “want to make a mistake.” And I felt bad for the Derek guy, they really dragged out the crying scene way too long. I never used to watch this show but I kept seeing you talking about Chad and his road rage lol I just couldn’t contain my curiosity anymore.
P.S. I totally agree that paleo frostings are the worst but my poor fiancé is allergic to dairy so there is nothing we can do about it.
did i call robby clingy lol i totally don’t remember that! and you can just make a different dessert that is creamy, like the tarts i posted yesterday (no dairy!)
haha yeah in your recap on the caramel mocha frappe recipe. I think he is the competitive swimmer you referred to as a “stage 5 clinger.” Yeah, I generally don’t get too upset about frosting until its time to make my man’s bday cake every year. I personally would rather have cookies, and its possible to make very good cookies from almond flour. but I kinda would like nice frosting on our wedding day. I’ve noticed that vegans make frosting out of canned coconut milk and agar. I wonder if the same thing could be achieved with gelatin. all I know is palm shortening is the worst.
*name that show*
Game of Thrones!
I cant wait for the next season…OR for George R.R. Martin to finish the next book, already. Hopefully he doesn’t croak first…
★★★★★
OMG how good were those last two episodes? the second to last was MY FAVORITE, i wish they could all be that exciting lol!!
I rewatched the last two episodes, they were that good!
I LOVE PASTY CREAM!
ME TOO!!!
Love the GoT reference! These Look Amazeballs
★★★★★
I can’t wait to make these. I’ve been craving vanilla cupcakes.
If you like the Bach shows, you REALLY need to check out UnREAL. It’s a spoof dating show that’s written by someone who actually worked as a producer on the Bachelor. It’s damn good. Don’t let the fact that it airs on Lifetime fool you. Seriously, watch it.
Ok – these look super delicious! Seriously – YUM.
Second – hahahahahha Wells’ homeless sack hahhahah you’re amazing.
I think this season is super boring too and I too have been finding myself searching pinterest or on insta while watching. But Jojo’s dress was fab…i mean…FAB!
Hope you’re having a great day!!!
@stylemelauren
http://www.stylemelauren.com
Can you use ghee instead of the grass fed butter?
Hi Krista, I’m just chiming in – in my experience, ghee doesn’t work when making buttercream frosting. But, maybe Juli can answer better! 🙂
Hi Krista – I’m just chiming in here. In my experience, ghee doesn’t work for buttercream frostings. But, maybe Juli can direct you to a better alternative? 🙂
as far as i know, it doesn’t work for buttercream. i’ve heard of palm shortening working
Did you know that on The Bachelor/ette when they’re on dinner dates, they don’t eat the food, that they eat privately in their rooms beforehand and that the food is for display only? I know, right?!?! The only reason I know that is bc after Ben’s season my hubby bought me the People magazine issue of The Bachelor, highlighting all of the dudes (and the ladies that made it to the very end) from each of the seasons and there were also some interesting factoids peppered in the mix. This was one that floored me, but shouldn’t have bc my hubby and I had frequently commented on how they never ate on dinner dates. Evidently, its bc viewers don’t want to hear the mics picking up all sorts of crunching/food/eating sounds (great point, gross) and that no one really looks attractive while eating (another great point). And yeah, we’re bored with this season. It seems to be so much more acting than what we typically see. Bum to the mer.
Did you use a stand mixer for the cake ingredients? Or did you just do that by hand? Thanks! Looking forward to making theses 🙂
just by hand!
I’ve never been the biggest fan of frosting to begin with! I do love a yummy cupcake, but I’d prefer a thin spread of nut butter or jam on top, if you please! Anyways, these cupcakes look delicious and I’d love to dig into them–yes, I’d even give this frosting recipe a chance!
I’m a little confused… Is organic powdered sugar paleo? I was under the impression powdered sugar is processed/refined??
Thanks!!
it is, which is why i rarely ever use it. you could grind maple sugar extremely fine, but it’s never exactly the same. you could try that though! i just keep it for super special occasions!
Question – I’m in the middle of making these and I see coconut milk listed in the ingredients for the cupcake portion, but I don’t see it used in the instructions for the cupcakes. Should that be added in with the wet ingredients, or was it not supposed to be in there? Thanks!!
yes, in the wet ingredients! so sorry about that, i’ll get that added in the directions now!
Hey Julie….LOVE all your recipes as well as your photos!! Can’t wait to try these cupcakes for a family gathering this weekend! I was wondering about skipping the Pastry Cream & just using the vanilla bean as one of the Buttercream Icing ingredients. What are your thoughts??
that will still be delicious!!
Will this cake work well being a layer cake, or is too soft? I wouldn’t want it to cave in!
i’m not sure, i haven’t tried it as a cake! let me know if you try it!
Just made it as a 3 layer cake, it’s very sturdy and doesn’t cave at all. Also, it’s so super moist and amazing! You rock, Juli!
awesome!! now i totally want to make this again as a cake! how big were your cake pans?
Will using grass-fed butter instead of ghee in the cupcake recipe make a huge difference? just have a ton of butter but not ghee.
nope, that will be great!
How well would the cake freeze? I’m thinking these may be great for my wedding…
i have no clue, i haven’t froze the cake before
Ok, I’ll try and get back to you!
Feeling out the loop because I just found this whole world you’ve created online. Was I under a rock? Anyways, just wanted to say my two weeks are pretty much comprised of of many of your recipes and I’m pumped! I also really, really appreciate you being so real! It’s like my thoughts are out on a page but they’re from some else, it’s maybe creepy but not. So many times I skip all the tra-la-las and think lets get to the recipe… but I totally relate. Like the baby crying.. yeah, I’ve got one of those two, but its not mine its a neighbor.
Keep rocking it!
Can I substitute the tapioca flour with anything non starchy, I can not have any starch on the GAPS diet, and desperately want to try these?
★★★★★
not sure, i haven’t made them another way
The cake recipe looks delish! Bit this isn’t paleo ….and could be very confusing for s newbie and sort of discouraging for ppl trying to keep to paleo
Can I use coconut cream for frosting? I know you said you have many other real paleo recipes but the cake does look very good! SO I’d like like to use the cake recipe . W coco cream? Thoughts?
you can do whatever you want, megan! please read the second paragraphs of this post!
well i for one have major issues with dairy and not as many with grains…
i certainly wouldn’t call paleo frosting bull shi$,?!?!??! its absolutely delicious!
This looks amazing! Do you have the nutritional facts on this?
no, but you can put the ingredients in a nutritional calculator online yourself!!
These cupcakes look super lovely and super delicious. My only gripe is that they are on a paleo website and they contain over 1.5 cups sugar. I think it is wonderful that they are gluten free but I thought Paleo was supposed to be mimicking in some way the ways our ancestors ate. I suppose in times of plenty, they probably ran around with high blood sugar? I guess I just feel disappointed because I see the cupcakes on a paleo site and get a hankering to have them. But I prefer not to eat so much processed sugar.
Faith, no need to be disappointed! instead, just pick from one of my hundreds and hundreds of recipes that include no sugar at all! if you want to stay away from sugar, stay away from it. no need to even look at the dessert section! if you prefer to not eat sugar and not get a hankering for it, just don’t look at the dessert section!
OMG, I taught James in Sunday school. We went to the same church, and I watched him grow up. It was really exciting to have a “local” boy be a star, if only for a few weeks.
Hi! I’ve been following for you years! Back when paleo eating was first becoming a thing! You have always been my “go to” and I always tell paleo lovers about your blog. I have a question about this cupcake recipe. With this same recipe, can I make sheet cake instead of cupcakes? I want to make a classic American Flag sheet cake but Paleo of course.
that should work!! I’m not sure if it will be enough batter and i’m not sure how long the cooking time will be, but let me know if you give it a try!
Ok! Thank you so much! If it doesn’t look like enough batter, I will either make a smaller cake or the cupcakes. Thank you for responding!
I made some changes to reduce the sugar – used “Purecane” instead of coconut sugar in the batter, and I made a simple vanilla buttercream frosting using palm shortening and Swerve Confectioners sugar, bringing this very close to Keto. I also subbed palm shortening for the ghee in the cupcakes. Almond flour baking is always denser than white flour, but these were still great, even without the added sugar.
★★★★
hey steve, thanks for trying the recipe! but will you not rate the recipe itself when you’re changing it? those changes effect the outcome of the recipe so the rating is not fair.