Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

I kid you not, no one will know these are gluten free!  These Gluten Free Cupcakes are hands down the best, moist, fluffy gluten free cupcakes ever. The vanilla buttercream is not too sweet and uses all natural food coloring.  They are prepared in one bowl and super easy.

I don't make a lot of sweets around here and when I do I try to spin them to be a bit healthier. I wouldn't call these Gluten Free St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes healthy but they don't have artificial green food coloring and my kids did not miss it at all.

What is it about food coloring?  My kids act like it tastes good.  Their eyes light up when they think they are getting it.  It's weird how coloring makes food more attractive to the eyes.  Newsflash kids → food coloring has no flavor!  They had no idea this was natural food coloring. That's a win for me.

This recipe is taken from Ina Garten's best chocolate cake ever → Beatty's Chocolate Cake.  My friend turned me on to this cake at her son's birthday party.  Thanks love! It's moist, rich and flavorful.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES FROM SCRATCH

IT'S SO EASY!  All I did was make it gluten free by using Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour. It is hands down the most like regular flour gluten-free flour and great for cakes and cupcakes.  You will never know it's gluten-free.  It's not grainy or gummy and doesn't taste like chickpeas, almonds or any other weird flavor that would throw off your cake.  You will love it.

These are made simple by whisking all the dry ingredients in one bowl and mixing all the wet ingredients in another bowl.  Then you add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Finally add the secret ingredient - one cup of freshly brewed coffee and mix again.  Trust me you'll never taste the coffee.

I also did some serious experimenting with this buttercream frosting.  I have tried so many ways to make buttercream: more butter, less butter, less sugar, a pinch of salt, no salt, extra whipping, adding cream and on and on. 

I feel like I finally hit the jackpot and part of it was an accident. I was out of butter and had to borrow from my neighbor.  Luckily she only had Plugra European Style unsalted butter.  It tastes better - plain and simple.  It is worth the extra money when you are making a buttercream icing that contains so much butter.

I am now a butter snob.

My other trick is less sugar.  I hate frosting that knocks me into a sugar coma, you know the ones from the supermarket.  I want a lightly sweet icing that complements the cupcake.

Planning for Halloween instead? Check out these delicious Spider Cupcakes.

HOW DO YOU STORE GLUTEN FREE CUPCAKES?

I would store these on the counter for a day or so, otherwise pop them in the fridge.  It will keep the frosting in tip top shape.  

IS FROSTING GLUTEN FREE?

Most of the time frostings are gluten free because they are essentially just sugar and butter or shortening.  Always check labels to be safe if you have celiac disease.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

These Gluten Free St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes are hands down the best, moist, fluffy gluten free cupcakes ever. The buttercream is not too sweet and uses all natural food coloring. They are prepared in one bowl and super easy.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: gluten free chocolate cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¾ cups Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee
• For buttercream:
• 2 sticks of European unsalted butter Plugra
• 2 - 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• tiny pinch of salt
• 1 package of natural food coloring
• 1 tablespoon of milk or heavy cream if needed for thinning

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Spray two round 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line with round parchment sheets.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer add first wet ingredients, buttermilk through vanilla. Mix on low until combined with the paddle attachment.
• Add the dry ingredients all at once, flour through salt and mix on low using a spatula to scrape the sides.
• Add fresh coffee and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Pour batter into two cake pans dividing evenly.
• Place on middle rack and cook for about 25-35 minutes rotating once.
• Check with a toothpick after 25 minutes to see if it's done. If not put back in for five minutes and check again.
• Let cool 30 minutes.
• For the icing:
• Place butter in mixer and beat for a few minutes.
• Add sugar in ½ cup increments and beat well, using a spatula to scrape down the sides.
• Add the vanilla and beat.
• Add the food coloring and continue to beat.
• Check out the texture. If you want it thinner add a bit of milk or cream. I added just a teaspoon.

Equipment

• Stand Mixer

Notes

Add more milk to the buttercream frosting if you want a thinner icing.  

Nutrition

Calories: 930kcal | Carbohydrates: 143g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 620mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 119g | Vitamin A: 818IU | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

All nutritional information provided is an estimate. For specific dietary needs or concerns, we recommend consulting a nutrition calculator or a qualified expert.

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