MUSTAFAR CUPCAKES

These delicious Mustafar cupcakes are a guilt-free delight. They’re a healthier version of chocolate cupcakes made with wholemeal flour and date paste, which has naturally occurring sugar. Topping with fruits such as strawberries reduces the need for sugary icing, making it healthier and more appealing.

Serves: 6

Dietary: Suitable for vegetarians and nut-free

Contains: wheat and gluten (wholemeal flour), eggs, milk (yoghurt, milk, cocoa powder) and sulphites (dates)

Preparation time: 25 -30 minutes

Stand time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 20 – 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For date paste:
20 (1 cup) dates, pitted
¼ cup water

For cupcakes:
6 large strawberries
1½ Tbsp (70 g) low-fat yoghurt
½ cup (70 g) wholemeal self-raising flour
4 Tbsp (60 g) date paste
1 medium egg
3 ½ Tbsp (55 g) skimmed milk
2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil, e.g. rapeseed oil
1 ½ Tbsp Cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla essence or extract

METHOD

To make the date paste. Soak dates in hot water for 30 minutes.
After soaking, remove the dates and transfer them into a food processor with ¼ cup of water.
Blend together until smooth.
For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180 °C /160 °C Fan /350 °F /Gas mark 4.
Line a 6-hole muffin pan with paper cases.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. The husks remaining from the sifted flour need to be added back to the flour and cocoa mix.
In a separate bowl, whisk the yoghurt, date paste, egg, milk, oil, and vanilla until well blended.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding them in gently and not over-mixing.
Pour equal amounts of batter into the pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a skewer stabbed in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and leave it for 2 – 3 minutes before transferring it to a wired rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, top with strawberries and enjoy.

This recipe was donated by Mamta Pun, a Dietetic student at the University of Winchester.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Per serving: 1 cupcake
Total calories: 134 kcal
Fat: 5.9 g
of which is saturated fat: 0.8 g
Carbohydrate: 14 g
of which is sugar: 9.0 g
Fibre: 3.2 g
Protein: 4.0 g
Salt: 0.18 g

NUTRITION FACTS

These cupcakes are low in saturated fat and salt, and a good source of fibre.
These cupcakes further provide a good source of omega-3, vitamin B12, folates, and vitamin C.
The fibre content of these cupcakes has been increased using wholemeal flour and date paste. Adding fresh strawberries on top also further provides fibre.
At the same time, the added sugar content has been decreased by using the natural sugar in milk, yoghurt, dates, and strawberries.

VARIATIONS

Enjoy the cupcakes with any other fruits as topping.
Incorporate chocolate chips in the cake batter for that extra texture.
Dairy products can be substituted with plant-based dairy alternatives.

Checked by Kathy Lewis, R.Nutr., Registered Nutritionist