The secret behind turning a delicious protein muffin into an even more delicious protein cupcake is using protein frosting. It's that easy, and I'll show you how!
Of course, some people might tell you it's not that simple. They might say that the difference between a muffin and a cupcake lies in the ingredients. A cupcake, these doubters could say, is more like a cake. It contains more sugar, egg, and fat than a muffin.
These naysayers may mention that cupcakes and muffins are made differently. Cupcakes call for a "creaming" method, whereby the eggs and the butter are fluffed prior to being integrated into the rest of the batter.
That's all complicated bakery stuff. Let's be honest, most people differentiate between muffins and cupcakes by the frosting. No frosting? Muffin. Frosting? Cupcake. End of story.
Frosting Fun
The typical ingredients in protein frosting are protein powder—such as casein, whey, or even a veggie protein powder—plus a "creaming agent" like Greek yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, or Quark, and a bit of milk.
Although protein frosting is absolutely sublime on protein muffins, you're not limited to just turning muffins into cupcakes. You can use protein frosting to add an element of creaminess and extra flavor to protein pancakes, protein cakes, or even fruit.
If you want to start transforming protein muffins into cupcakes, here's a recipe to get you started. If you'd like more ideas, see my previous article. Happy frosting!
Orange and Vanilla Protein Cupcakes
