This strawberry lemonade cupcakes recipe is a “dessert” entry in the So Delicious Dairy Free 3-Course Recipe Contest, submitted by reader Becca Buckley. For the cake and the lemon curd, she uses Coconut Milk Beverage from So Delicious.
Special Diet Notes & Options: Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, vegan and vegetarian.
For soy-free and gluten-free strawberry lemonade cupcakes, be sure to seek out dairy-free margarine and cream cheese alternative that are also soy-free. Earth Balance offers a couple options for the margarine, and Daiya has a top 8-free cream cheese alternative.
Gluten-Free Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This recipe was submitted by Becca Buckley, as an entry in the Go Dairy Free / So Delicious Dairy Free 3-Course Recipe Contest.
Author: Becca Buckley
Ingredients
LEMON CURD:
- ¾ cup So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened Coconut Milk Beverage
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup lemon juice, fresh
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
CAKE:
- 16 ounces frozen whole strawberries
- ¾ cup So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened Coconut Milk Beverage, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 tablespoons powdered egg replacer mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1-1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons melted non-hydrogenated dairy-free margarine
FROSTING:
- ⅔ cup non-hydrogenated shortening
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounces dairy-free cream cheese alternative, softened
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated dairy-free margarine
- Pinch salt
TOPPING:
- Chopped fresh strawberries
- Candied lemon peel (optional)
Instructions
For Curd:
- In a small pot, whisk together the coconut milk and corn starch. Place over medium heat.
- Whisk in the lemon juice, sugar and salt. Whisk every minute or so, then whisk constantly once the mixture starts to bubble around the edges of the pot.
- When mixture starts to thicken and bubble constantly, whisk for a few minutes and then remove pot from the heat.
- Whisk in the zest and margarine until fully combined and place on the counter to cool.
- Every five minutes or so, whisk the mixture. When mixture has cooled down a bit, pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and push the plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
For Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin. Place frozen strawberries in microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until strawberries and soft and have released their juices, about 4-5 minutes. Place in fine-mesh strainer set over a small saucepan. Firmly press fruit dry (you should have at least ¾ of a cup of juice). Reserve strawberry solids for the frosting. Bring juice to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally until reduced to ¼ cup, about 8 minutes. Whisk So Delicious Coconut Milk, egg replacer, and vanilla into juice until combined.
- In a small bowl, mix brown rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthum gum, baking powder, and salt together. In a large bowl, whisk sugar and strawberry milk mixture together. Slowly whisk in melted margarine, until combined. Fold in dry ingredients until combined.
- Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan, and cool completely.
For Frosting:
- While cupcakes are cooking, prepare frosting. Using a hand mixer, beat shortening, vegan cream cheese, and salt. Mix in ½ cup of reserved strawberry solids and lemon zest. Beat in powdered sugar until combined. Refrigerate until cupcakes are cooled completely.
Putting it all together:
- Using a melon baller or apple corer, remove a portion of the center from the top of the cupcake, being careful not to go through the bottom of the cupcake. Fill with curd. Frost cupcakes with desired amount of frosting (I find this works best when done with piping bag with a large round tip). Top with chopped strawberries and candied lemon peel. Enjoy!
