It’s my birthday today — which happens to be Earth Day. Yes, really. I’m spending the day simply and happily: breakfast at Snooze with my handsome boyfriend, where I’ll devour a gluten-free caramel apple pancake; a nail appointment; prepping a recipe for tomorrow’s post; puppy time (I’m still working on teaching him not to use his teeth when he plays); a workout; and then a Game of Thrones marathon until I fall asleep. Nothing too flashy, just delicious.
Of course I’ll be eating one of these cupcakes too — that was a given.
Speaking of Jackson (my puppy), he decided to poop under our bed the other night. We had a silent treatment moment after that.
This marks my third birthday post on the blog. For my first blog birthday I made Chocolate Cupcakes and spent the morning with Laura before heading to Wash Park. Ironically, the man who is now my boyfriend was supposed to meet me that day in the park but ran late, so I left. We weren’t together then — just heavy flirting on my part and slow responses on his. In that same post I talked about wanting a dog, someone to love me unconditionally. Two years later I’m living with the stoic man and raising a dog with him. Sweet, right?
Last year I had just returned from the Dominican Republic and was still recovering from the beach life, which is far more fun than ordinary life. I made a Mini Blueberry Lemon Birthday Cake that year and, fun fact, the photo of that cake was the first I took with my new camera. I still mostly shoot on automatic, though — I’m the worst at manual settings.
I also posted about the Primal Life Kit — a bundle with over 49 paleo/primal products and discounts. It was a huge deal that comes around once a year. Since it was my birthday, I offered it as a gift to my readers.
Caramel Donut & Ice Cream Topped Chocolate Cupcakes
4.8 from 6 reviews
- Yield: 10-12
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter (or coconut oil)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 5 eggs, whisked
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
For the donuts
- 6 dried medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 4 eggs, whisked
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
For the caramel
- Use a soft caramel recipe of your choice (Primal Palate Soft Caramel is a good option)
For the ice cream
- Your preferred vanilla ice cream (Vanilla Coconut Bliss works well)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in a double boiler or microwave until smooth.
- Stir in coconut flour, tapioca flour, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and a pinch of salt until fully combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to portion batter into a muffin tin lined with silicone liners or paper liners, filling each about half full. This yields about 10–12 cupcakes.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- While the cupcakes cool, make the donuts: pulse dates in a food processor until broken down. Add applesauce, melted coconut oil, and eggs, and puree until smooth.
- Add coconut flour, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and a pinch of salt; puree again until combined.
- To make pouring easier and keep a round shape, transfer the donut batter to a plastic or pastry bag and cut the tip off.
- Preheat and grease a mini donut maker or pan. Pipe about 2 tablespoons of batter into each donut mold.
- Cook for 5–7 minutes or until done. This should make about 10–12 donuts.
- Remove donuts and cool on a wire rack.
- Prepare the caramel while the donuts cook and cool; when thickened, transfer to a shallow bowl for dipping.
- Assemble: place a cupcake, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, dip the top of a donut in caramel and place it on the ice cream.
- Serve immediately.
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You May Also Like:
New Year’s Eve Champagne Cupcakes
Pumpkin Cream Donut Sandwiches
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