A truly heavenly cupcake, the taste and texture of these cupcakes will not let you down!
These cupcakes are divine -- seriously! Every time I bite into them I'm continually surprised by their moist, soft texture, and bakery worthy taste. These are the best chocolate cupcakes I think I've ever had!
I found this recipe on Sally's Baking Addiction, and I was just dying to try them! I decided to do my own version of them by making them Gluten Free! I honestly didn't really expect much, since I was altering her already amazing recipe to be gluten free, but they turned out a blissful decadent flavor and consistency. It's literally like biting into a cloud of chocolate. These cupcakes have the sort of texture that a bakery cupcake would have!
The vanilla frosting complements the chocolate perfectly. It doesn't overpower the chocolate, but instead accompanies the flavor very nicely... and guys, this is one seriously good frosting!
Top it off with a couple sprinkles, and you have the perfect gluten free :claps: chocolate cupcake!
Seriously, guys...these cupcakes are insanely good!
We have unsweetened natural cocoa powder, which gives these cupcakes the best, silky milk chocolate flavor. Instead of all-purpose flour, we have white rice flour, tapioca flour (or starch), potato starch (not flour -- there's a difference!), and xanthan gum, which is what makes this recipe gluten free! We have baking soda, baking powder, a bit of salt, and eggs, at room temperature (important!! Always use room temperature ingredients when the recipe tells you to!), granulated sugar, brown sugar, which adds a bit more of a rich taste to the cupcakes, melted coconut oil, to give an extra moist texture, and healthier than other oils! :), vanilla extract, and buttermilk, at room temperature.
As for decorating these lovely cupcakes, be as creative as you want! I used a Wilton 21 decorating tip and made a simple rose-like decoration on the top of some, and then others I pushed out the icing in the center of the cupcake and pulled up slightly, and then 'swished' the icing around the cupcake a bit and made soft peaks... both designs are very simple!
You really don't need a ton of frosting on these. You can see in the photo above that the rose-like decorated cupcakes don't actually have very much frosting on them. But that's totally fine! A. It's healthier than putting on tons, and B. It's not at all overpowering. It's goes along perfectly with the chocolate cupcake, and it doesn't make it feel too rich. But, it might be a good thing to do some of both! That way anyone who likes a bit more frosting gets their wish, and those who prefer less can have it! Everybody's happy.
*score!*
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Yield: 16 cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (do not use dutch processed)
1/2 cup white rice flour
2 Tablespoons tapioca flour (starch)
2 Tablespoons potato starch
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%), mixed with 1 tsp white vinegar, room temperature
Vanilla Frosting
1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
4-5 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup half on half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with 16 cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, starches, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugars, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until no lumps remain. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then half of the milk. Gently whisk, only about 5 stirs. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and milk and stir until combined and no lumps remain. Do not overmix. The batter will be fairly thin.
4. Spoon your batter into the cupcake liners until a little over half full. That way your filling won't overflow. Bake cupcakes on the middle rack of your oven for 18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out of the center clean. Do not over bake or else you won't have the same moist texture! Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting
1. With a handheld or stand mixer, beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy. Add 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, half on half cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low. Increase to high speed and continue beating for a few minutes -- take your time! You want to whip your frosting until fluffy and peaks are forming. If your frosting seems too thin, add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners' sugar. If it seems too thick, add another Tablespoon of half on half cream.
2. Frost your cooled cupcakes however you desire! I used a Wilton 21 decorating tip to frost mine in the photos above. You may have some leftover frosting, depending on how you decide to decorate your cupcakes. Feel free to save the leftovers for a couple days for another batch of cupcakes!
3. Store your cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction's Classic Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
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Liz & Sarah
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