Gluten-Free Birthday Cupcakes
By Danielle Desiato KuhnPublished on May 23, 2019
Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour cooling
Yield
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Once frosted, serve the cupcakes within a few hours. Top with sprinkles, if desired. Not all brands of chocolate are processed in a gluten-free facility; make sure to read the label. Do not omit the xanthan gum; it is crucial to the structure of the cupcake.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
- Microwave white chocolate and oil together in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk mixture until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly. In separate bowl, whisk flour blend, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda together.
- In large bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla together. Whisk in sugar until well combined. Whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and sour cream until combined. Whisk in flour blend mixture until batter is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, portion batter evenly into prepared muffin tin. Bake until cupcakes are set on top and spring back when pressed lightly, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tin and let cool completely, about 1 hour. (Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Spread or pipe frosting over top of cupcakes and serve.
Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour coolingYield
Makes 12 cupcakesIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
When adapting this recipe from our gluten-free layer cake, we immediately found that we didn’t need to whip the egg whites. In fact, whipping the eggs was creating a huge dome, which made frosting the cupcakes a challenge. In addition, the cupcakes were so fluffy that they fell apart in our hands. Using the easiest mixing method (combining everything in a bowl) was a step in the right direction—the cupcakes were more compact and less crumbly. Unfortunately, they were still doming too much. We needed the baking soda (it helped with browning and tenderness) but found we could reduce the amount of baking powder substantially. While these adjustments solved the structural problems in these little cakes, the change in mixing method meant that the butter wasn’t getting emulsified into the batter. In the end, we swapped the butter for oil, as we had done in many other gluten-free cakes. Thankfully, the white chocolate and sour cream kept the cupcakes rich enough, so tasters didn’t miss the butter flavor, especially when the cakes were piled high with frosting.
Before You Begin
Once frosted, serve the cupcakes within a few hours. Top with sprinkles, if desired. Not all brands of chocolate are processed in a gluten-free facility; make sure to read the label. Do not omit the xanthan gum; it is crucial to the structure of the cupcake.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
- Microwave white chocolate and oil together in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk mixture until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly. In separate bowl, whisk flour blend, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda together.
- In large bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla together. Whisk in sugar until well combined. Whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and sour cream until combined. Whisk in flour blend mixture until batter is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, portion batter evenly into prepared muffin tin. Bake until cupcakes are set on top and spring back when pressed lightly, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tin and let cool completely, about 1 hour. (Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Spread or pipe frosting over top of cupcakes and serve.
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