Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

If you guys remember from my blog post last week, I recently helped do some dessert catering for a friend’s baby shower. She requested Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes and these Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes. It was a great opportunity to practice making gluten-free desserts. I tested this recipe out a few times before the actual baby shower to make sure I perfected it in time for the party. This was the first time doing any kind of official catering so the pressure was on! I wanted to make sure everything was grade-A quality!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

All ingredients used to make these cupcakes AND the frosting are all naturally gluten-free. And all things you probably already have in your pantry. The only oddball ingredient I had to invest in was some gluten-free flour. I tried to make this recipe as simple and straightforward to follow as possible. The only thing I do a little differently is boil a ½ cup water and mix it with the ½ cup cocoa before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. The boiling water helps break down the cocoa and gives it a richer, more intense chocolate flavor and consistency. This was a little trick I learned long ago that you should all try next time you make any baked goods such as cakes, brownies or cupcakes!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

I’ve also included ingredients and directions on how to make the gluten-free buttercream frosting. Usually you need a lot of powdered sugar to help the frosting stay sturdy and thick. But I always find the sweetness to be a little overwhelming. So, I like to add a little extra butter and heavy cream to make my frosting lighter, fluffier and help alleviate the intense sweet flavor of the powdered sugar. You can also refrigerate the frosting for a bit to help it hold its shape on the cupcakes. Read on to see the full recipe for these Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes. And please let me know if there are any other gluten-free recipes you’d like me to try in the future! 

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium
Servings

24

cupcakes
Prep time

20

minutes
Bake time

20

minutes
Calories

348

kcal

These gluten-free chocolate cupcakes are so moist and full of intense chocolate flavor. They’re also paired with a light and fluffy buttercream frosting.

Ingredients

  • FOR CUPCAKES
  • 2 ¼ cup gluten-free flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 2 cups sugar

  • ½ cup melted butter

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

  • 1 cup milk

  • 4 eggs

  • 2 tsp vanilla

  • ½ cup boiling water

  • ½ cup cocoa

  • FOR FROSTING
  • 1 cup softened butter

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 2 tsp vanilla

  • 1-2 Tbs heavy cream

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a 24 count cupcake pan
  • In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients which include the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda 
  • In a separate bowl, mix the boiling water and cocoa by themselves (the boiling water helps break the cocoa down best to give it a richer flavor and consistency). Set this bowl aside for now
  • In a third, separate bowl mix the wet ingredients which include the melted butter, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined and smooth
  • Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed until everything is well combined and smooth
  • Lastly, add the cocoa mixture and beat again until the batter is well combined and chocolatey
  • Separate the batter evenly between all 24 cupcake liners. Make sure not to overfill. Each liner should be about 3/4 of the way filled, max
  • Place in oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes. Make sure a toothpick inserted comes out clean before removing from oven 
  • Once done baking, let sit at room temperature until completely cool 
  • While cupcakes are cooling, start preparing the frosting: Add the softened butter and 2 tsp vanilla to a bowl. Mix on low speed until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix on medium speed in between each cup added. Keep adding more powdered sugar until you reach the consistency and taste you want. Add the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time, mixing in between until you reach your desired consistency. You can add less or more cream as you see fit. Frosting should be somewhat thick, sturdy and not runny. 
  • Add frosting to a large pastry bag with your choice of tip. Pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can just use a butter knife to spread frosting on each cupcake 
  • Top by sprinkling with some baking cocoa or chocolate sprinkles for decor
  • Enjoy!​

Notes

*NUTRITIONAL INFO BELOW IS FOR BOTH CUPCAKES & FROSTING COMBINED*

Nutrition Facts

24 servings per container


Calories348

  • Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
  • Total Fat 25.5g 40%
    • Saturated Fat 13.8g 69%
  • Cholesterol 81mg 27%
  • Sodium 205mg 9%
  • Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
  • Potassium 90mg 3%
  • Total Carbohydrate 30.6g 11%
    • Dietary Fiber 0.6g 3%
    • Sugars 27.1g
  • Protein 2g 4%
  • Calcium 3%
  • Iron 3%
  • Vitamin D 83%

* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

One Comment

  1. Pingback: Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting - Eyes Closed Cooking

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