Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting & Candied Flowers

Photographs by Chef Christine Moss

A vegan, gluten-free recipe for raspberry coconut cupcakes that surprise and delight with beautiful candied flowers

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(Makes 12)

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 2 cups flour (I used Bob’s Redmill all-purpose Gluten- free flour)
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
• 1 TSP baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
• ½ cup safflower oil
• 2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 TBSP Vanilla
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ pint fresh raspberries 

Frosting:

• 1 cup vegan butter (room temp)
• ½ cup unrefined coconut oil (room temp but not melted)
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 TBSP vanilla
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• Candied Flowers (see our tip section for directions)

Directions:

Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Prepare a cupcake tin with paper cupcake liners and set aside.
3. Into a mixing bowl, put the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and coconut flakes. Whisk together and set aside.
4. Into another bowl put the coconut milk and whisk together if the cream is separated from the water. Then add the safflower oil, vinegar, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk together.
5. Add the raspberries to the bowl of dry ingredients and toss gently. The floury coating will help keep the berries suspended in the batter instead of all sinking to the bottom as they bake.
6. Pour the bowl of liquid ingredients into the dry and mix gently. (Some of the berries will break open but that’s ok).
7. Spoon the batter into the cupcake tin evenly until all of the batter is used.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes total. Check it around 15 minutes and turn the pan if needed to bake evenly.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven when they are golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake or they will end up dry. 

Frosting

1. Into a food processor place the vegan butter and blend until fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed.
2. Add in the coconut oil and blend until it is uniformly mixed with the vegan butter.
3. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice and blend again until mixed together. It will be very soft and melted from the heat of the mixing blade.
4. Place the frosting into a bowl and set it in the refrigerator to chill.

Assemble The Cupcakes

Once the cupcakes have cooled down, take the frosting out of the refrigerator and with a butter knife scrape up the frosting and mix together until it is spreadable.

Frost the cupcakes and top with candied or fresh edible flowers.

—Chef Christine Moss, The Garden Café Woodstock