Red Velvet Valentine’s Day Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I can’t think of a better way to say ” I love you,” than a perfect Red Velvet Cupcake. These easy-to-make one-bowl cupcakes take the cake with just 180 calories and a mere teaspoon of added sugar. (For comparison, a typical cupcake bakery Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting has over 500 royal calories and a whopping 15 teaspoons of sugar).

Cupcakes

1 large egg

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup Splenda granulated sweetener

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 -1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting*:

8 ounces tub-style light cream cheese

4 ounces nonfat cream cheese

1/4 cup Splenda granulated sweetener

1 cup light whipped topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a nonstick 12 muffin tin with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk egg until at least double in volume, mix in oil, sugar, extract, sweetener, and red food color.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, and stir 1/3 into  the wet mixture. Add 1/3 of the milk and alternate wet and dry ingredients until batter is smooth.
4. Scoop evenly into muffin tin, bake 15 minutes, until center springs back when touched or a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
5. To make frosting, place the cream cheeses in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the sweetener and beat for 1 minute longer. On slow speed, beat in the whipped topping, beating briefly just mixed. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons of frosting.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Per Serving (1 cupcake)

Diabetic exchanges = 1-1/2 Carbohydrate, 1-1/2 Fat

Weight Watcher point comparison = 3

*A light dust of powdered sugar instead of frosting eliminates 40 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 2 grams of carbohydrate