Skinnygirl Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

So lets start this off with something sweet. I actually made these 2 days ago but honestly they are so moist and just the right amount of sweet and a little salty (I'll explain later) that I would give up Crumbs, Magnolias or any other commercial cupcake for these anytime.

Background: I got this recipe from "The Skinnygirl DISH" by Bethenny Frankel. Some of you guys might recognize the brand or the name, its Bethenny from Bravo's Real Housewives of New York. Personal note: I LOVE LOVE LOVE her and now I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. If you want to find out more about her book, or her Skinnygirl brand go to www.bethenny.com. In the book these are called "Joyful Heart Chocolate Chip Cupcakes" with Chocolate frosting. These are low-fat, and dairy-free (great if you keep kosher and are eating meat for the meal and still want dessert) and if you use oat flour instead of regular flour, it can even be wheat-free. These also make great muffins without the frosting.

Nutrition Facts: Serving size one cupcake (recipe makes 8 cupcakes) *These are calculated by yours truly and not by the book or any other official nutritionist so I can only promise accuracy enough to satisfy my discerning standards

grams: 117; calories: 262 (with 1 tbsp frosting); fat: 10g; saturated fat: 2.5g; carbs: 38.5g; protein: 2g; fiber: 1g; sodium: 458.5 mg; sugars: 27 g

Now for the good stuff...

Cupcake Recipe:

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup raw sugar *I used granulated splenda so the nutrition facts reflect that

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon canola oil

3/4 cup oat flour *I only had regular all purpose flour around so I used that instead

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspon baking soda

Pinch of cinnamon

2/3 cup mini-chocolate chips *I used large Ghirardhelli 60% cocao bittersweet chocolate chips instead

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a muffin or cupcake tin with cooking spray or put liners into a muffin of cupcake tin to make 8 cupcakes

2. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and canola oil. Stir and set aside to allow the sugar crystals to dissolve (if you use the splenda, you might notice a fizzing sound as it dissolves. Never fear it happened to me too and I'm still alive so I'm sure its nothing terrible)

3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the applesauce mixture and stir until everything is combined. Fold in the chocolate chips

4. Using a 3-ounce ice cream scoop or large spoon, portion the batter into the tin to make 8 cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch (I have a gas oven and it took 18 min on the timer to cook)

5. Cool completely, remove from the tin, and frost with Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Frosting Recipe:

1 cup nondairy butter *I used Olivio which is olive oil based. I mistakenly got butter that was salted to the frosting I made turned out a little salty. My boyfriend and I actually like it this way since we aren't too big on rich sweets and the mix of salty and sweet is actually a nice blend

4 cups confectioner's sugar *I used only 2.5 cups to curb the calorie and sugar count. In hindsight it might have been good to add the extra sugar to counteract the saltiness of the butter, but in the end all concerned parties were happy with the result so its really a matter of personal preference

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 tablespoons soy milk *I used Almond milk because it is lower in fat and calories and I have been told my by doctor that I should try to cut down on all the soy. NOTE: If you get vanilla flavored soy or almond milk instead of original, cut back on the vanilla extract otherwise the flavor will overpower the chocolate flavor

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until very smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add a little more soy milk. If it is too thin, refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Frost cupcakes or any cake. Store leftover frosting in the refrigerator

*When I made this frosting, I mixed everything together and added the confectioner's suger in last, gradually. The almond milk was a little watery so I ended up needing to put the frosting in the fridge for an hour. Also because of the Olivio, if you leave the frosting out too long, the olive oil begins to separate and you have to whisk the frosting some more.