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Protein Red Velvet Cupcakes with Purist® Whey Protein
Who doesn't love a red velvet cupcake? Sweet, moist, with a velvety mouthfeel that leaves you wanting more. But standard red velvet cupcakes often don't offer the sort of macros that help you reach your strength and wellness goals — don't get us wrong, they can be a great treat for quick energy before athletic competition or lifting, but the protein is limited.
Alessia Capley, Customer Support Representative at REP Fitness, tinkered with her own red velvet cupcake recipe, introducing Purist® Whey Protein as a substitute for some of the more carb-heavy red velvet cake mix, and made a dessert that won 2nd place at the Great Purist® Bakeoff. Below, we'll cover everything you need to make this recipe at home.
2nd Place Winner at the Great Purist® Bakeoff
With prize money on the table, 12 competitors from REP's head quarters competed in a battle to see who could bake the best sweet treat featuring Purist® Whey Protein powder. Everyone in the office voted on their favorites, based on how it tasted and how elevated the macros were, and Alessia Capley took home the 2nd prize (and $50) for her cupCAKED on Protein, red velvet cupcake recipe.
"This is my first time ever baking," admits Alessia. "But it's easy to make and tastes very good!" For a balanced spread of macros that supports satiety, energy, and muscle, each cupcake offers:
Calories: 120
Protein: 8 grams
Carbohydrates: 12 grams
Fat: 4.5 grams
Fine tuning the recipe took her a few trys as she incorporated protein powder in as a substitue for some of the red velvet cake mix. "At first it was very dry... but Greek yogurt and oil saved the day," she says, recommending that bakers play around with adding a little bit of either to get their batter to a consistency they're happy with.
Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe: cupCAKED on Protein
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup red velvet cake mix
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup applesauce
- 3 scoops chocolate Purist® Whey Protein
Frosting
- 8 oz fat-free cream cheese
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 scoop vanilla Purist® Whey Protein
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a large bowl, mix cake mix, egg whites, oil, Greek yogurt, vanilla, applesauce, and chocolate protein powder until smooth.
- Line or grease a muffin tin.
- Fill each cup about 3/4 full.
- Bake 16–20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Spread or pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to enjoy.
Takeaway
Pick up two bags of Purist® Whey Protein powder, one in the chocolate flavor for the cupcake base and another in the vanilla flavor for the creamy, vanilla frosting, to give these sweet treats a try! "It's great for a post-workout treat or even to cure a sweet tooth without going too deep into the sweets," says Alessia.
Rosie Borchert is a NASM-CPT, former Nike Volleyball coach, and writer whose work has appeared on REP Fitness, BarBend, Tonal, ABC, Netflix, and Amazon Studios.
This article was reviewed by Ashley Boyer, ACE-CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, for accuracy.