On February 14, 2017 The Migraine Relief Plan debuted in the world. I couldn’t be prouder of this book or the lives it’s touched in the last two years. I have traveled the country meeting migraine sufferers at wellness events and patient education days. I have more than 800 members of our Facebook support group who help each other on a daily basis. And I’m thrilled to see that it sells consistently on Amazon, knowing that doctors all over the country are recommending it to their patients.
When I asked my readers’ group what I should do to celebrate this milestone, the obvious answer was “birthday cake!” So I hereby present this tasty recipe for simple vanilla cupcakes with rich, buttercream-like frosting that is of course, migraine-friendly. A huge shout-out to my friend Ricki Heller’s book Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free: Allergy-Friendly Vegan Desserts: 100 Recipes Without Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, or Refined Sugar for the inspiration. I highly recommend her book, as she’s a genius with desserts for people on special diets.
Just a note: As with all desserts, this is meant to be eaten in moderation. Yes, there’s a little sugar in them.
Vanilla cupcakes with fudgy frosting
Ingredients
Vanilla cupcakes
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free) Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 is best (includes xanthan gum)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder (only if using a flour blend that doesn't include xanthan gum)
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup agave syrup honey, or maple syrup
- 3/4 cup coconut milk whole milk, hemp milk, rice milk
- 1/3 cup grapeseed oil sunflower seed oil, light olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract alcohol-free for migraine diet
Fudgy frosting
- 1 cup coconut sugar (organic)
- 1 cup sweet potato puree (canned or use a baked sweet potato)
- 40 drops stevia (organic) drops, vanilla flavor preferred
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract alcohol-free for migraine diet
- 1/2 cup carob powder
- 1/2 cup carob chips Sunspire brand unsweeted carob chips
- 1/2 cup tahini or unsalted sunflower seed butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
Instructions
Vanilla cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4. Line 18 cupcake tins with liners.
- Separate the eggs.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour with baking powder, baking soda, and psyllium husk powder (if using).
- In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat egg yolks, agave syrup, coconut milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add flour mixture and beat just until no lumps remain. Fold in egg whites using a spatula until mixed in completely.
- Scoop batter into prepared pans, about 2/3 full. Place on center rack. Bake 10 minutes, then rotate pans. Bake another 10 minutes, or until tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
Fudgy frosting
- Place coconut sugar in blender and blend on high for one minute or until a fine powder.
- Place sweet potato and stevia in food processor fitted with S-blade. Process until smooth.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place remaining ingredients and stir over low-medium heat until melted and smooth. Scrape into food processor. Blend until very smooth.
- For thick fudgy frosting, immediately spread on cupcakes. For pipe-able buttercream style frosting, refrigerate until cold. Then beat until fluffy. Use a large piping tip to create frosting swirls as shown.
Notes
by Ricki Heller. There are many, many recipes in this book that could be adapted to The Migraine Relief Plan.
Looks yummy! Glad the recipes from my book were inspiring. These look fabulous–I love me a good carob-based treat, so can’t wait to try them! :) Congrats on the 2nd anniversary of your fantastic book, too!