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Serve these cupcakes for dinner!
December 12th, 2008 Madhuram Posted in Egg Replacements, Kid Pleaser Recipes, Muffins/Cupcakes, Vegan Baking | 
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The cupcake recipe which I’m going to share with you today is such a brilliant idea to include greens and fruits in your child’s diet. This is yet another sneaky recipe from The Sneaky Chef. I’m hooked to this book guys! It’s really amazing what you can make your children to eat, following the simple methods given in the book. I have renewed this book for the second time in the library and I have to return it very soon, so I’m trying out as many recipes as possible. In our library here I cannot renew it for the third time. I will have to return it and maybe get it sometime later.
Like all baking recipes mentioned in the book the chef uses the Flour blend (mixture of whole wheat flour and wheat germ) to start with. She then suggests mixing a puree of spinach/collard greens and blueberries. Didn’t I say it is brilliant? The beauty of this cupcake recipe is you don’t taste any of these healthy ingredients in the cupcakes. It tastes very normal, if not better than the usual chocolate cupcakes. To make it eggless I substituted the egg in the recipe with prune puree (applesauce should also be fine). Since pureed fruits make the baked good denser I added baking soda to lighten up the cupcakes. I was crossing my fingers, because I don’t play with baking soda/powder ratio in a baking recipe. I simply follow the recipe. But to my relief they came out very well, nice and fluffy. Actually it was very fluffy, so I was thinking maybe I should have reduced the quantity of baking soda, but the next day it was alright. Everything was perfect, the cupcakes had the right texture. Another important thing, my son liked these cupcakes even on the second and third day. So something is definitely right in this cupcake recipe.
(not mentioned in the recipe, I included it) around 1/4 cup
Yield: 9 cupcakes
2 Melt the butter and chocolate chips together. I did this in the microwave oven, first for 15 seconds, stirred it once and heated it again for 20 seconds. Microwave oven times may differ so use caution while melting the mixture.
3 Remove from heat and let it cool for sometime.
4 In another bowl, stir together the pureed prune, vanilla, purple puree, sugar and 1 tablespoon water.
5 Combine this purple mixture with the melted and cooled chocolate mixture.
6 In another mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly.
7 Scoop out the dough and fill it in the muffin cups almost to the top. (I used an ice cream scoop, which measures 3 tablespoons)
8 Bake 23 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine was done exactly at 23 minutes, but anyway I baked it for another 1 minute, just to be sure.
9 Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack before frosting. Frosting is optional, you may simply dust it with some powdered sugar or leave it plain.
2 I strongly recommend eating these cupcakes the day after baking. It is unbelievably good the next day. When I tasted on the same day the taste was definitely good, but since I had used the Earth Balance blend, that flavor was definitely dominating. Actually we (couple of testers) did not taste the blueberries or spinach. I was so sure that it was the Earth Balance because I had a similar experience with the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. But we were in for a big surprise the next day because the cupcakes tasted very normal, like any other regular cupcake.
3 Also when tasted on the day of baking, we were able to tell that it was made of whole wheat flour, but not on the second day. The only thing which was different is the texture. I guess that’s because of the blueberries. I did grind it smooth, but I guess I should have processed it for some more time in the food processor.
4 My son ate half a cupcake on the first day. But when offered another piece after sometime he told me that he didn’t like it. I iced the cupcakes the following day, while he was in school. They were ready when he came back and he had totally forgotten that it was the same cupcakes which I had offered him yesterday. He was clearly attracted by the icing and the sprinkles and he ate 1 cupcake without complaining. To my surprise he liked it the next day and also the day after. I also tested it with another kid who is 5 and also a picky eater. He usually doesn’t eat anything including junk food like cupcakes and cookies. To his mother’s surprise he also ate it. So I guess this cupcake recipe is definitely a keeper.
5 Alternatively this batter can also be baked in mini-bundt pans and vola you have your baked donuts. For donuts, bake 12 to 14 minutes until the tops spring back when pressed lightly. Loosed the edges with a knife and turn the donuts out over a plate. I have not tried this.
6 These cupcakes are vegan if you leave out the icing.
This cupcake recipe goes to “Egg Replacement – Pureed Fruit” event hosted by me.
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December 13th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Wow this is an awesome idea!!!! cupcakes looks gorgeous..
December 13th, 2008 at 5:53 am
They look so pretty..
December 12th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Hi Sneaky Mom!
You have a follower. Thanks for the sneaky I mean healthy cupcake recipe. As you said this is definitely a keeper! My little one is just like your son, ok with fruits but not with veggies. So this is a bright idea. Thanks Madhu! I liked the way how you tested these cupcakes on different kids. 
December 12th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Hi Madhu,
Have been enjoying and gaining inspiration from your site everyday! MEanwhile, I wanted to comment, that I have been trying to have pureed veggies added to anything and everything almost. My son is not a picky eater, but this way I get more veggies in and make it to the 3 cups a day easily. It’s easy to do fruits! I am a bit concerned about the spinach and blueberries being baked here – would that still retain their nutrition? It could, but I’d verify. –Deepa
Deepa, the problem with my son is I don’t what he likes. One day he says he loves something and If i make it once again he doesn’t even touch it. Anything when cooked is definitely going to lose some of it’s benefits. But atleast the children will be getting some of the nutrients. If children are eating the foods in the actual form, well and good, but the methods given in the book is for children like my son, who don’t get their required serving of vegetables and fruits. My son is also ok with fruits but not veggies.
December 12th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Pureed spinach/collard greens and blueberries? Now that is very clever especially on a 3 year old. Looks like a great book, let me go find it in my local library as well.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Looks like one pot dish…with greens , fruits..a healthy one Madhu..No wonder your son peeped into another one..Looks cute with the frosting..
December 12th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Lovely and healthy.Nice of you to use prune puree.I hope you saw my comment on the use of prune puree in your previous post? I too did not taste prunes in my muffins.It was your beechnut prune puree pic that prompted me to use my pkt prunes.Thanks
Yes Sweatha, I did see your reply, that’s why I went ahead and used it. Thanks to you too.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Cupcakes for dinner! Count me in!
December 12th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Sneaky!!! They look awesome!
December 12th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Purple puree that is something i hav enever seen.
I do love this delciious loking cupcake. Why wait for dinner i would eat them the all day long.
Superb. beautiful and delcious.
We have to prepare the Purple puree, HC. I’m going to write that in a seperate page and link it to this recipe.