You can’t be sad when you are holding a cupcake.
I don’t remember where I heard those wise words, but aren’t they true? Especially when it comes to a paleo cupcake, like these paleo cupcakes make with coconut flour and cardamom. In experience, you can’t be sad when you are making cupcakes, either. Mixing up batter, licking spoons, and frosting cupcakes with friends and family is one of the little joys in life.
There are three parts to this recipe: making the lemon curd, making the mousse and making the cupcakes. This is more work than I usually go to for a sweet treat. But when I have the time, I enjoy indulging in a more involved cooking project. It is therapeutic for me. And the finished product feels like a well-deserved reward.
Paleo Lemon Frosting
I loved my Paleo Lemon Mousse so much that I had to repurpose the recipe. Its thick, rich and fluffy texture lends itself well to a show-stopping cupcake topper!
This stuff is amazing. Period.
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 6 eggs, at room temperature (that's important)
- 6 Tbs. raw honey
- 6 Tbs. coconut oil or butter
- 2 Tbs. coconut milk, room temp. (this one doesn't have any icky additives or BPA)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin with 8 liners (I like unbleached parchment paper baking cups).
- Combine the coconut flour and eggs until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Divide evenly between the muffin tins. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Cool completely and frost with the lemon mousse.
- Makes 8 cupcakes. Feel free to double the recipe if you want more cupcakes! These last in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature. They also freeze really well!
- 1 recipe Paleo Lemon Mousse
- Make the mousse and use it to frost the cupcakes. Delicious! Eat any remaining frosting with a spoon 🙂
I have a wicked sweet tooth and recurrent yeast infections. I know I am supposed to cut out refined sugars and have just embarked on my journey to heal myself. I would love to try most of your recipes but I am allergic to coconut and almonds. Are there any subs for all of the coconut ingredients?
-Desperately trying to change
This has potential to not be helpful at all, but I was having strong reactions to coconut before I did a Whole30. Since then, I have been able to eat coconut in all its forms with no reaction. I don’t eat dairy at all, but I am not 100% grain free and it still has been great. If I were you, I would read It Starts With Food and do a Whole30, then try coconut again. (unless you have an anaphalactic reaction, then you should disregard everything I just said). 🙂
been eyeing up this recipe for a good month or more, and i finally decided to make it for my son’s 4th birthday. they were delicious! my partner was sad that it only made 8, as there were 7 kids over. the cupcakes were lovely and the lemon mousse frosting was so good! i wasn’t sure what the state of the coconut oil was supposed to be, so i ended up melting it.. “room temperature” here means it’s solid.
your recipes are great!
Lauren, These look so delicious and Happy Birthday to you, one of my favorite bloggers! Many happy returns!
Happy Birthday! and thanks for the recipe, I love lemon!
Hi Lauren – love your blog and recipes!
I made the cupcakes tonight, step by step and they came out looking just like your picture – and then they fell quickly and sank in the middle. The only step that was off was the coconut milk was cold, not room temperature.
Thoughts?
My first thought is that they weren’t completely cooked through in the middle… otherwise, I’m not sure. I’m sorry it didn’t work well for you!
can’t wait to try these.
curious about what you’d suggest in terms of baking time in a cake format. I’m thinking maybe a bread loaf pan …
thanks! 🙂
OMG these looked SO good! But I am so bummed – the mousse/frosting in my first batch turned out like lumpy goo – even after transferring it to a hand blender and trying to “whip” it. Second batch, I just made the lemon curd a bit sweeter and used it as frosting. Not sure what I did wrong, but the gelatin/coco milk combo was not my friend…. The curd alone was a much better consistency.
Great recipe, nonetheless! Our family of 3 has managed to eat all but 2 out of the 16 I made! Thank you!!
I’m sorry to hear that the frosting didn’t work out for you! If I can think of any troubleshooting ideas, I’ll add it to the recipe, but I’ve never had this problem 🙁
LOVE the frosting! My cupcakes unfortunately didn’t turn out =( Your cupcakes look beautiful… Mine looked like Chanterelle mushrooms. I had to make some adjustments and I don’t think my coconut oil was melted enough. That’s my guess. They looked awful, but my kids still ate them all up. I guess that’s what’s important! I will try again and cross my fingers for prettier results. Wish me luck!
I made these today.
The flavor is awesome.
I did have a problem with very jiggly frosting (maybe the same problem that Mel had?) I am guessing that I used to much gelatine. Your recipe called for 1 TBLSP with homemade coconut milk. I will try reducing the amount next time to see if that is the problem……OR the lemon curd would make a fine middle filling for a torte type of cake. I may try that, too. Have you had much success with baking a cake with this cardamon recipe…like a 9″ square or round?
Thanks!!
Lauren,
I am definitely going to try these ASAP and hoping for the best. We LOVE lemon and coconut too.
We are, however, at 5000+ feet above sea level and this often causes a problem with baking, especially GF baking. I’m going to give it a shot, but if you have any thoughts on how to alter or adjust for altitude, it would be much appreciated. Right now I start by cutting leavening (baking soda/powder) by 1/3 and then work from there… sometimes an extra egg… I’d love input from you or anyone else baking GF/Paleo at high altitudes!