Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes

Found this in a newspaper article featuring Chef Rocco DiSpirito. He gives a recipe on how you can have your cake and eat it too! What I love most about this recipe is it makes just 4!!!

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

2 eggs

5 packets natural Stevia sweetener (powder)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon red food coloring

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons prepared vanilla sugar-free, fat-free pudding (such as Jell-O)

2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese, softened

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line 4 large (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly coat the liners with cooking spray.

Separate the egg yolks and whites, discarding 1 of the yolks. Place the remaining egg yolk in a medium bowl. Place the 2 egg whites in another medium bowl.

To the whites, add 2 packets of the Stevia, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon of the food coloring. Mix and set aside.

Add the remaining 3 packets Stevia, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon food coloring to the egg yolk. Whisk the yolk mixture for 3 minutes. Add buttermilk and agave. Whisk until combined.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, flaxseed meal, cocoa powder and salt. Add to yolk-buttermilk mixture and beat on low just until combined.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg white mixture on medium to high until stiff peaks form. Working in 3 batches, fold the egg whites into the buttermilk mixture, being careful not to deflate the whites.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cups. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool.

Meanwhile, to prepare the frosting in a small bowl combine the pudding and cream cheese. Mix until smooth. Spread or pipe evenly over each cupcake.

****My note: The first time I made them I followed the recipe exactly (minus the salt) but topped them with fat free cool whip. They tasted dry to us. I just finished another batch and added 1 T of unsweentened applesauce to help add some moistness. Without the cream cheese frosting I have them at about 68 calories a cupcake . *****

Here's the article's nutritional breakdown:
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 98 calories; 3 g fat (24 percent of total calories, 1 g saturated); 54 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 187 mg sodium.