Gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes
Gluten-free baking can be a challenge! The best way to measure your GF flour is by weight (1 cup = 4.5 oz or 120 grams), really, but what a pain! Most of us don't have a scale laying around our kitchens. As a result, a lot of GF baked products can come out crumbly or gummy. While GF baked goods will never have the super light and fluffy feel of wheat flour goods, I think I have gotten the balance of ingredients down so that odds of yielding the fluffiest GF cake possible are in your favor!
I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free baking flour. It is not a "whole food" since it contains white rice flour and other starches, but if you are making cupcakes you are not going the healthy route anyway! This is a treat people! Spoiler alert: in addition to white rice flour, I also use cane sugar! It is possible to use a blend of whole grain flours and sugar subs, but you will likely need to add liquid and it will not come out as well.
OK, all that stuff aside, this recipe really doesn't need much explaining. You make a "flax egg", curdle your milk with vinegar, and use some aquafaba* as an egg replacer for good measure (it does help create a more fluffy crumb). You can use vanilla extract instead of the almond extract listed if you like, but I like the flavor it adds. Just be sure to sift those dry ingredients together so you don't get clumps in your batter (I have included a link to a quick how-to here).
I have included a recipe for an easy traditional chocolate frosting for your convenience. But if I have the extra time I prefer to make the chocolate ganache frosting that I linked in the notes.
These are so easy and delicious that my hubby makes them for me on my birthday every year! I think it goes without saying that these would be a crowd-pleaser at your next celebration--or whenever you get a craving for chocolate cake!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
PREP TIME 15 | COOK TIME 20 | TOTAL TIME 35
Servings: 12
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Cake
Flax seed meal 2 Tbsp Warm Water 1/3 cup soy milk 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Tbsp Gluten Free Flour 1 1/4 cup Sugar 3/4 cup Cocoa powder 1/2 cup Baking Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Coconut oil liquid 1/3 cup Almond Extract 1 tsp Aquafaba* 3 Tbsp
Icing*
Powdered Sugar 3 3/4 cup Cocoa powder 4 Tbsp Butter 3 Tbsp Milk 5 Tbsp Vanilla 1 tsp
Instructions
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flax with warm water and set aside to thicken.
Mix vinegar with milk and set aside to curdle.
Sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add all wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
Divide batter evenly into 12 lined muffin cups. I like to use an ice cream scooper to make things easy!
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. A toothpick will come out clean when done.
Allow to cool one minute before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Icing
Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a medium sized bowl to eliminate any lumps.
Cream all ingredients together with the hand-mixer until smooth. The mixture should be able to hold its shape when done
If too soft, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
If too firm, add milk 1 tsp at a time.
Notes
*I am not ashamed to refer you to another great frosting option that is not my recipe! It will take you some extra time, but it is worth it! So check out how to make chocolate ganache frosting if you are feeling spunky!
*Aquafaba - juice from a can of chickpeas or other bean. If you cook your own beans from dry, you can use the water you cooked your beans in. Aquafaba is a great egg replacer.
