Gluten-Free Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcakes
By Sara MayerPublished on June 29, 2016
Yield
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
4 ounces (113 grams) white chocolate, chopped coarse6 tablespoons vegetable oil 6 ½ ounces (184 grams/¾ cup plus ⅔ cup) America's Test Kitchen All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend 1 teaspoon baking powder ⅛ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon xanthan gum ½ teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 ½ ounces (99 grams/½ cup) sugar ⅓ cup sour cream ¼ cup rainbow sprinklesFrosting
2 cups frosting (see note)2 tablespoons rainbow sprinklesBefore You Begin
We prefer our Small-Batch Vanilla Frosting here because it makes exactly 2 cups, but you can use your favorite frosting recipe or store-bought.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Microwave chocolate and oil together in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring often, until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes; whisk smooth and let cool slightly. In separate bowl, whisk flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt 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. Gently whisk in sprinkles until thoroughly incorporated.
- Portion batter evenly into prepared muffin tin. Bake until cupcakes are set on top and toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 19 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.
- Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. (Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Stir sprinkles into frosting. Spread or pipe frosting onto cupcakes before serving.
for the cupcakes
for the frosting
Yield
Makes 12 cupcakesIngredients
Cupcakes
Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
Frosting
Why This Recipe Works
Rainbow (or confetti) cupcakes are festive and especially popular with children, so we wanted to develop an easy-to-make gluten-free version that would deliver on flavor and looks alike. We began with our recipe for light, fluffy yellow cake. While that recipe calls for whipping egg whites to create lift and a lightweight crumb, we found that we didn’t need to whip the egg whites, as this created a huge dome (which made frosting the cupcakes a challenge). These cupcakes were so fluffy that they fell apart in our hands. Instead, we switched to an easier mixing method that combined everything in a bowl. The cupcakes were more compact and less crumbly, but they were still doming too much. We needed baking soda (it helps with browning and tenderness) but found we could really reduce the amount of baking powder. This solved the structural problems, but the change in mixing method meant that the butter wasn’t getting emulsified and was leaching out. Swapping in oil for the butter fixed the greasiness, but we missed the rich flavor of the butter. The addition of sour cream and white chocolate added flavor plus kept the cupcakes rich and moist. To achieve confetti throughout the cakes, we simply mixed rainbow sprinkles into the batter. As the cupcakes baked, the sprinkles dissolved, forming colorful spots suspended in every bite. Mixing more sprinkles into the frosting completed the festive look and added a nice, crunchy texture.
Before You Begin
We prefer our Small-Batch Vanilla Frosting here because it makes exactly 2 cups, but you can use your favorite frosting recipe or store-bought.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Microwave chocolate and oil together in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring often, until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes; whisk smooth and let cool slightly. In separate bowl, whisk flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt 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. Gently whisk in sprinkles until thoroughly incorporated.
- Portion batter evenly into prepared muffin tin. Bake until cupcakes are set on top and toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 19 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.
- Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. (Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Stir sprinkles into frosting. Spread or pipe frosting onto cupcakes before serving.
for the cupcakes
for the frosting
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