Vegan, Gluten Free Cupcakes
Before going in the oven.
I've always wanted to get into Gluten Free cooking, since its different then "normal" cooking. There are so many different flour options that offer different textures and flavors. All you have to do is find the recipe that tastes good. This recipe tastes great, and most people wouldn't notice if it is Gluten Free or not!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 C. Rice Milk
- 2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 1/4 C. Whole Spelt Flour
- 1/3 C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 4 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2/3 C. Coconut Oil
- 1 1/4 C. Agave Nectar
- 2 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
- 5 T. Natural Red Food Coloring (I used Cranberry juice. You can't taste the cranberry.)
"Red" Velvet GF Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
Pour the rice milk and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl, but do not stir; set aside to develop into “buttermilk.”
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The batter will be thick. Using a plastic spatula, add the “buttermilk” and mix just until combine. Slowly add red food coloring by the tablespoon until the batter is the desired hue. (I added 5-6, but still couldn’t necessarily see a color change) Don’t use more than 6 tablespoons, since it will make the batter too wet.
Pour 1/3 cup batter into each prepared cup, almost filling it. Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for 24 minutes, rotating the tins 180 degrees after 14 minutes. The finished cupcakes will bounce back slightly when pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
Let the cupcakes stand in the tins for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. To prevent them from drying out, I poked small holes in the tops with a toothpick, and used a pastry brush to apply a syrup made by boiling 6 T. water with 1/3 cup apricot jam.
**From this point, you can put whatever you want on the cupcakes. From a sprinkle of powdered sugar to ganache & fondant to vegan frosting.
Simple Cupcakes from Scratch
I created both peppermint cupcakes and orange cupcakes using a basic batter. It is a super easy and tasty batter.
Here is the recipe that I took it from.
Creamsicle Cupcakes
From Women's Day Magazine
45 mins total 20 mins prep 225 calories/servingFull Screen ServingsIngredients Basic Batter
I created a basic buttercream frosting for it instead.
For the Peppermint cupcakes, I put 1/4 cup ground peppermint candies in the batter. For the buttercream frosting, mix 1 Tbs. Peppermint Schnapps and 1 Cup ground peppermint candies into it. Obviously exclude the orange juice and orange zest for this recipe. Substitute an additional 1/2 cup milk.
For the Orange Grand Marnier Cupcakes, do as the recipe above says. But for the frosting, make a butter cream frosting, and add 1.5 Tbs. Grand Marnier.
**You can experiment and make up your own type of cupcake using the basic batter and frosting.**
Here is the recipe that I took it from.
Creamsicle Cupcakes
From Women's Day Magazine
45 mins total 20 mins prep 225 calories/servingFull Screen ServingsIngredients Basic Batter
- 11/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 11/2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 21/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tsp grated orange zest
- 11/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tbsp grated orange zest
- Liquid orange food color (optional)
- Garnish: thin strips orange zest
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 regular-size (21⁄2-in.-diameter) muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
- Beat butter, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, orange juice and zest in a large bowl with mixer on high 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. On low speed, beat in flour in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, just until blended, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Spoon evenly in muffin cups.
- Bake 22 to 25 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean and tops are golden. Cool in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pans to rack to cool completely.
- Frosting: Beat ingredients in medium bowl on medium-high speed until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted. Tint with food color; beat just until blended. Frost and garnish cupcakes.
I created a basic buttercream frosting for it instead.
For the Peppermint cupcakes, I put 1/4 cup ground peppermint candies in the batter. For the buttercream frosting, mix 1 Tbs. Peppermint Schnapps and 1 Cup ground peppermint candies into it. Obviously exclude the orange juice and orange zest for this recipe. Substitute an additional 1/2 cup milk.
For the Orange Grand Marnier Cupcakes, do as the recipe above says. But for the frosting, make a butter cream frosting, and add 1.5 Tbs. Grand Marnier.
**You can experiment and make up your own type of cupcake using the basic batter and frosting.**