Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:

• 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 200 ml (4/5 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener –such as agave)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds (almond meal/flour)
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 100 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries

For the frosting**:

• 400 g (14 oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk *
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• To decorate (optional):
• Lemon wedges
• Fresh blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
2. Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
3. Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda
5. Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
6. Add the fresh blueberries and fold in gently, to make sure you don’t crush them
7. Transfer mixture between 12 cupcake papers in a cupcake tin
8. Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean
9. Once out the oven, transfer cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely before applying the frosting

For the frosting:

• You’ll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full-fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
• Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
• Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
• Add the lemon juice, maple syrup and vanilla extract
• Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy
• To frost and decorate the cupcakes:
• Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a knife, spatula or piping bag to apply an even amount of frosting to each of the cupcakes
• Decorate with lemon wedges and fresh blueberries, if desired
• Best when fresh, but keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days

NOTES

• **This frosting recipe yields a medium-sized amount of frosting per cupcake. However, if you do want to apply a generous amount of frosting (like in my photos), I’d recommend doubling the amount of frosting.
• ***You can alternatively use 200g (70z) thick coconut yogurt