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
- 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
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!
