No Butter Fluffy Spring Vanilla Cupcakes

I wasn’t looking to reinvent the cupcake – after all, it is perfect the way it is. But being cupcake-obsessed and someone who watches her calories, I had to bake something to satisfy both. I had a couple of things in mind when setting out to bake a healthier version of a cupcake today – first off, I wanted to incorporate plain Greek yogurt, because every time I substitute yogurt in my baking, it comes out spectacular. Secondly, it’s almost Easter so I wanted them festive, colorful and full of pastels. Most importantly, I didn’t want any of them to look the same – individualist cupcakes, if you will. So I ended up 2 dozen fluffy, light-as-air vanilla cupcakes with Vanilla Meringue icing – each beautiful in their own way. It’s hard to believe, but there is no butter or oil in either the cupcake OR the frosting! This recipe is low in fat without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. The batch boasts a traditional bake-shop vanilla cupcake taste, but without the guilt. Check out the steps below and the full recipe on the bottom… Enjoy!

No Butter Fluffy Spring Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 box Duncan Hines Golden Vanilla Cake Mix
1 cup of 0% plain Greek yogurt
1 cup of water
3 eggs

Frosting
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/3 cup of water
2 egg whites

No Butter Fluffy Spring Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 box Duncan Hines Golden Vanilla Cake Mix
1 cup of 0% plain Greek yogurt
1 cup of water
3 eggs

Frosting
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/3 cup of water
2 egg whites

Colored sugars to decorate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 24 cupcake/muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, water and yogurt. Beat 2 -4 minutes on medium high speed until completley blended and smooth.

Fill cupcake liners with batter and bake for 15-16 or until cake tester comes out clean. (Note they take a few minutes less than cupcakes regularly prepared)

Let cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water and cream of tarter over medium high heat. Stir constantly until smooth and bubbling.

Separately, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Gradually add warm liquid sugar mixture to whipped egg whites while whipping constantly. Continue whipping for about 7-10 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Separate frosting into small separate bowls to create different colors. I did a light blue, pink and yellow, and also kept some white. To color, simply add 1 drop of food coloring to each bowl of frosting and stir to combine.

Decorate with colored sugars as you wish!