Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

I wanted to come up with a healthy dessert option for Mother's Day. We all know where the majority of the calories come from when you eat a cupcake...the frosting. This recipe is already low-calorie and low-fat because some of the butter has been replaced with sour cream (so it is still super moist) and the frosting has been replaced with fruit-based icing and a dollop of fat-free Cool Whip. Making these changes allows this bad-boy to ring in with a calorie count of only 230. So that being said, let's dive in!

The Grocery List:

• 1 stick of salted butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 (8 oz) container of fat-free sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of egg substitute
• 2 cups all purpose flout
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 lb strawberries
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Cool Whip Free
• Cupcake liners

The Prep: 

Start by melting the stick of butter and set aside to let cool. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in a medium-sized bowl with a whisk. Also, while the butter is cooling, now would be a good time to slice up some strawberries for garnish. I only used one slice per cupcake, which came to only about 8-9 small strawberries. Make sure you reserve at least 4 medium-large strawberries for the glaze. 

The Batter:

Now that your butter is cooled (or at least, not HOT), it's time to make some batter! Using an electric mixer, whisk the sour cream and melted butter until well combined. Add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk for an additional 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Add the egg substitute and blend for another 2 minutes on medium.