The Baking Series: Gluten-Free Cupcakes

Here's a little treat for you since it's Friday, since it's cold and raining here in Melbourne, and since the weekend is right around the corner.

I've been really enjoying experimenting with gluten-free flours at the moment.  I myself am not celiac, but I do prefer the way my body (especially my tummy) feels when I don't consume too much gluten.  I'm also a big lover of all of those beautiful, lesser known flours out there that actually give love back to your body, rather than the highly processed white flour on the market shelves these days.  I know this is not a fair statement to make, as I still do bake with this flour regularly when making cakes for family and friends, but for my own personal consumption....I reach for the buckwheat, coconut and brown rice flours first.

 

 

Please note - this particular recipe does contain sugar. 

That's my next project!

 

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes

(recipe adapted from Recreating Happiness)

 

½ cup white rice flour | ½ cup brown rice flour | ½ cup sorghum flour | ½ cup potato starch | 1½ teaspoons xanthan gum | 1 cup raw cacao | 1½ tsp baking soda | 1 tsp sea salt | ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened | 1¾ cup caster sugar | 3 large organic eggs | 2 teaspoons vanilla extract | 1½ cups buttermilk 

 

For the Frosting | 85g dark chocolate | 113g unsalted butter, softened | 250g cream cheese, softened | 2 teaspoons vanilla extract | dash salt | 3 cups icing sugar

 

Makes approx 12-15 large cupcakes

 

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a muffin pan with your favourite cupcake liners.
  2. In small bowl combine white rice flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, raw cacao, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until creamy, (about 3 minutes), scraping the bowl as needed, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla extract.
  4. Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture scraping the bowl occasionally.
  5. Pour into prepared liners (⅔ full) and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (approx 20 minutes).
  6. Cool completely on wire racks.

For the Frosting:

  1. Heat chocolate in a bowl sitting over the top of a pan of simmering water (be careful not to allow any water touch the chocolate), until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cover and allow to cool.
  2. Meanwhile beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, then slowly beat in melted and cooled chocolate.
  3. With mixer on low, beat in sifted icing sugar until blended, then increase the speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes until light and creamy
RecipeChit Chat ChompBaking1, Gluten-Free 1