Agave Nectar Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting

Yay healthy!
Yay diabetic-friendly recipe!
Boo tasting like bran muffins.
Yay frosting!
Yay agave nectar!

I made the first experiment in my new kitchen! ...The oven is so small that when I bake cupcakes, I have to bake them one tray (12 cupcakes) at a time. Luckily this recipe is halved, so you can only make 12 cupcakes anyway.

But I decided to make agave cupcakes, with an agave whipped cream frosting!

Agave nectar is the hip new thing on the health market. I don't know all of the specifics yet (whether it's actually better than sugar or not) but the fact that this recipe has no sugar is great!

Agave nectar (or just "agave"-- Ah-GAH-vay, I do believe) is sweet, similar to honey but without that sharpness. It's quite tasty, and probably good on toast, cereal, waffles... really anything that you could put honey in/on, you could use agave!

The cupcake batter came out like oatmeal-- I attribute this to using wheat flour instead of white flour. It also made them quite gritty, and..tasting like a bran muffin. The agave flavor was completely lost in them.

But the frosting! Ohhh my, so delicious! It actually tastes like whipped cream, which you could put on..whatever you put whipped cream on. The only reason I'm even calling it a frosting is because I put it on the cupcakes (which really helped make them taste better!)

Maybe I'll retry this recipe eventually. But for now, just take the whipped cream recipe! Nomnomnom.

It even looked like whipped cream when I piped it. That's how you can tell that it's super tasty.
Agave Nectar Cupcake Recipe

• 2 T light butter
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 c agave nectar
• 3/4 c buttermilk
• 1 3/4 c wheat flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t baking powder

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 325
• Cream together butter, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla.
• In a small bowl, combine agave nectar with buttermilk. Add to mixture.
• Add in dry ingredients slowly.
• Mix until combined and smooth.
• Prepare a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake papers, and fill each 1/2 full.
• Bake 17-20 minutes.
  

Agave Nectar Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe

• 2 c (1 pint) heavy whipping cream
• 5 T agave nectar
• 1 T vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Preparation

• Put all ingredients in a bowl (if you have a Kitchenaid, use it!).
• Beat until it stiffens-- 5-6 minutes.
• Note: This is where a stand mixer comes in handy, because your wrist will get a workout otherwise!
• Spread, or pipe onto cupcakes.
• Drizzle with agave nectar.

Note: For best results, make the frosting the day you eat the cupcakes, and put them in the fridge so the frosting doesn't melt!

The recipes both came from my friend Nikki! (: