The perfect way to celebrate Halloween is to take a bite out of our Vampire Red Velvet Cupcakes. With a frosting made with Lifeway Farmer Cheese and Lifeway Kefir in the batter, these fang-tastic kefir cupcakes are oozing with flavor. Get your ovens ready, because this recipe is one that you won’t want to miss out on!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with a variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy, high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and a healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 30 mins Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (we like Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/2 cup raw coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 cup Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp natural red food coloring, plus a drop for the filling
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temp
- 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. raw coconut oil
- 1 cup low sugar raspberry jam (we like Smash brand or Crofter's organic brand)
For the Farmer Cheese Frosting:
- 4oz. cream cheese, at room temp
- 4oz. Farmer Cheese
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup organic powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions
- For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Sift the all-purpose flour, coconut sugar, cocoa, and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk together the kefir, melted coconut oil, natural food coloring, vanilla, and egg in another large bowl.
- Add the kefir mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a small microwave-safe bowl until mostly melted, about 1 minute. Stir, then microwave again until completely smooth, about 15 seconds more.
- Use a small sharp knife to cut out and remove a plug from the middle of each cupcake, making sure not to go all the way to the bottom and leaving a 1/4-inch border around the side (eat the plugs). Brush the holes with the melted chocolate and place in the freezer until the chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes.
- Whisk together the raspberry jam, 1 drop of natural red food coloring, and 1 tbsp water in a small bowl until completely smooth. Spoon 1 tbsp of the jam into each of the chocolate holes; set aside.
- For the cream cheese frosting: Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and farmer cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the butter until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe on top of the cupcakes so the jam is covered.
- Poke 2 holes into the frosting on each cupcake using the end of a straw to resemble vampire bites, making sure you hit the cupcake and not the jam-filled hole. Drizzle the remaining jam into the holes to resemble blood.
