Light and Luscious Cupcakes

May 16, 2011
Quentin Bacon
Cupcakes are the perfect just-for-me indulgence. Get our simple recipes and ways to make your cupcakes even lighter.
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Simply sweet

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Oh, yum! Cupcakes are the perfect just-for-me indulgence. Get our simple recipes and ways to make your cupcakes even lighter.

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Tangy buttermilk and a hint of cocoa give these classic cakes their signature flavor, while the low-fat cream cheese frosting adds a decadent touch without all the calories.

Want to skinny it up even more? Skip the frosting for a 216-calorie treat.

Pro decorating tip! Pastry bags and tips are the secret to fabulous finishing touches. We love the ($8.39)—it comes with four tips and eight disposable bags.

Try this recipe:Red Velvet Cupcakes

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Choco-Sour Cream Cupcakes

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Chocolate-lovers rejoice! Here's a no-guilt way to give into that craving—these irresistible cupcakes are topped with creamy milk-chocolate frosting and come in well under 300 calories apiece!

Bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened cocoa provide an intense flavor (and antioxidants), while light sour cream creates a dense and moist texture for a fraction of the calories.

Try this recipe:Choco-Sour Cream Cupcakes

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Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

Credit: Quentin Bacon

These little gems are each filled with a sweet surprise of raspberry-infused cream. To shave 100 calories and 4g of fat, just frost as usual while omitting the filling. Top with fresh raspberries for a colorful, vitamin C-rich finish.

Try this recipe:Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

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Coconut-Lemon Minis

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Only 142 calories: These toasted-coconut minis look rich but are superlight. They're gorgeous and low-fuss, making them a great signature dessert.

Try this recipe:Coconut-Lemon Minis

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Mini PB&J Cupcakes

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Sweet and satisfying: These cute PB&J bites are only 180 calories and fill you up with 4 grams of protein.

Try this recipe:Mini PB&J Cupcakes

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Top this!

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Sprinkles ( 1, 5, and 10), colored sugar (6), and candied toppings (7) are an easy way to add punch to plain cupcakes. You can mix and match nonpareils (2 and 9), decorative sugar (4), and jimmies (sprinkles) (11) in the same cupcake batch (see 8 and 12)—just stick to three shapes. Also pictured, chopped peanuts (3).

Pastels look great on top of chocolate frosting, while chocolate jimmies, red candies, and other bright colors are a nice contrast to white frosting. These toppings are low-cal too: They're all between 15 and 20 calories a teaspoon.

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