“These are the best cupcakes I have ever had in my entire life and you can quote me on that!” That’s what my wheat-eating friend said AFTER he ate the gluten and dairy-free version of my Very Vanilla Cupcakes!
However, BEFORE he took a bite of a Very Vanilla Cupcake iced with Creamy Chocolate Fudge Frosting, he told me that he “did not like cupcakes” and (sighing heavily from the great sacrifice he was about to undertake) added that he would, force himself to try one because that’s what friends do for each other.
Mercy! I had no idea I was going to cause him to make such a huge sacrifice. But, I just smiled as I handed him a plate with one cupcake on it.
Well… after he polished off TWO Very Vanilla Cupcakes (not bad, for a wheat-eating “Cupcake Hater”) that’s when he told me (with a rare smile, I might add!) that he had “changed his mind” about cupcakes.
Hmmm… fascinating…
1 cup bakers sugar (very fine sugar; I use C&H)
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan
2 large eggs
2/3 cup milk of your choice (I use refrigerated coconut milk)
1/4 cup melted butter (Use Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks for dairy free)
1/4 cup organic canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place 12 paper baking cups in each regular size muffin pan. Note: This recipe will make between 24-32 mini-cupcakes; depending on your size of pan.
- Stir all dry ingredients before measuring. (Don’t leave out this step or you will measure out too much flour.) Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl; mix well. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together, eggs, milk, melted butter, oil, and vanilla. Add the dry mix and whisk just until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
- Bake for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. In my oven 21 minutes is perfect for regular cupcakes. Mini-cupcakes: Depending on your pan size baking time may be less; check at 17 minutes.
1. Creamy Chocolate Fudge Frosting (pictured above) or
2. The World’s Best Cream Cheese Icing
Note: Sometimes, I like to swirl in a spoonful of thick raspberry or strawberry jam into the World’s Best Cream Cheese Icing… Yum! This gives a creamy-delicious berry flavor and it looks pretty, too.
Tried many gf cupcake recipes before this one, but it is the very first that resulted edible cakes that not landed in the trash can. Perfect texture! Nice surprise these came out of their papers too, not any other gf cupkaces I’ve tried. Many thanks to you for this wonderful gf recipe!!!!!
Hooray! Hooray! I am so HAPPY and GLAD that these cupcakes turned out well for you! YES! YES! YES!
Like you, I also tossed out a TON of cupcakes while trying to figure out how to make a delicious, gluten-free cupcake. (Sometimes I wondered if I would EVER be able to get the recipe right… and then one day, it finally happened. And it happened after only about my hundredth try! (Seriously!)
I am absolutely DELiGHTED that YOU found this recipe and that it works for you! Hooray! Hooray!
And I so appreciate you taking the time to write! Thank you! Thank you! YOU made my day!
Happy Smiles, Ruby Lynn
Whahooooo! I am so GLAD that your niece loved the cupcakes! Hip Hip Hooray!!!!
Big HUGS to you, Val!! Lynn
These are the best cupcakes ever Lynn! I made these for my soon to be Niece-in-law's bridal shower and everyone LOVED them! (Everyone there are wheat eaters but her) My Niece to be is gluten free, dairy free and egg free! Yikes! She told me she can have a small amount of eggs baked into things so she was able to eat them without substituting something for them. She did however have to scrape your delicious chocolate frosting off because the chocolate chips have milk solids in them. Bummer, cuz that is one awesome tasting frosting!!! Anyway, Lynn, you are so amazing! Making gluten free, dairy free cupcakes that taste so good. Thank you for sharing these delicious recipe's! So glad you are MY sis-in-law! Love, Val <3
Thank you for the articles! I will definitely look those up!
How fun to see you on here, Haly!
I was just coming back to this recipe as I’m thinking about an Easter family get together, and I wanted to see about making a round cake instead of cupcakes. Glad to know your tip. I know your mom said you liked these better than regular cupcakes. It is a great recipe, isn’t it? And now that I can make it chocolate or vanilla….PERFECT!
Oh Kelly & Haly!
What a JOY to have you both here! (Don’t you just love how recipes bring people together? Such FUN!)
Big HUGS to YOU! Ruby Lynn
Hooray! Hooray!!! Haly that is terrific! I am so HAPPY for YOU that your cupcakes turned out!
Whisk vs. Mixer: What a brilliant idea to use a mixer instead of whisk. I use a whisk for small amounts and now that I think about it… I "whip the daylights" out of my cupcake batter!
Yep! Haly, YOU figured out a solution!!! WAY TO GO!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
HUGS & SMILES at ya! Lynn
Ok, my second batch did better. Here is what I changed
I mixed everything with a mixer instead of a wisk. I found on another sight that this activates the xanthun gum which makes them rise.
Hi Haly!
I'm so glad you love the texture of these cupcakes and are trying them again. Hooray! I hope you win at the county fair!
Rising Problem: That is very strange that your cupcakes did not raise! I would suggest you check a couple of things:
1. Be sure that your baking powder is active and FRESH. If it isn't – your cupcakes will not rise or will rise very little.
2. Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer to be sure that it is accurate.
Oh, hey, Haly! I just remembered that I wrote an article about this! (Yahoo!) Read this: "Cake Impossible: Why Do My Cakes Fall?"
cake-impossible-why-do-my-cakes-fall.html
Also I wrote another article about how to check if your baking soda and baking powder is fresh. Read my notes on: "Not Your Grandma's Pancakes."
not-your-grandmas-pancakes.html
I hope this helps you make awesome "Very Vanilla Cupcakes!!!!"
Happy Baking! Big Hugs to YOU!, Lynn
I am making these for the second time. They didn't raise the first time so I'm trying them again with a differant tecnique. I was a little afraid to try these because #1-I don't like cupcakes
#2-I am not gluten intolerant so I had the idea that they would be strange. BUT I really like them!!! They have a differant texture which I think makes them BETTER!
I am making them for the county fair for the Gluten Free Class. Hoping for the best!
Thanks!
-Haly
Hi Mary!
Yes, you can make these chocolate (Gina just did! Yay!)
I think you could simply add 3 tablespoons of cocoa to the mix and cut the vanilla in half. I would decrease the tapioca starch by one tablespoon also… and whalla… Chocolate Cupcakes! You may also want to add an extra tablespoon of sugar.
Please let me know how it turns out for you!
Chocolate HUGS to you! Lynn
Hi Gina!
Yahoo! I'm so glad that you had success making these cupcakes chocolate with using egg-replacer and adding cocoa!
Hooray! Hooray!
Baking Time for Cake: Now, I haven't tried this yet, but my best guess is that the baking time for an 8 inch round cake:
24 – 30 minutes.
For a 9 inch round: 22 – 27 minutes.
Let me know what you come up with!
HUGS and Chocolate Cake Smiles, Lynn
Loved these so much! I created a chocolate version by reducing the vanilla and adding cocoa powder, turned out great, made them egg free with egg replacer. Anything I need to do to make a cake instead? Just bake longer right?
Lynn do you think it would be okay to add cocoa to make them chocolate? 🙂 If so how much would you recommend?
Thanks,
Marylees
Hi Kelly!
I'm so GLAD these are your daughter's favorite cupcakes! Hooray!
Ah, but now you all are needing to go egg-free…
Egg Substitutions: I have not tried making these cupcakes egg free; however my neighbor is allergic to eggs and she uses applesauce for her baking with great success.
Go to my "Resource Nirvana" tab and scroll down until you come to the photo of an egg. I listed some substitutes for eggs. I think your best bet would be to try the applesauce.
Notice that baking powder is added to the applesauce – this is because the eggs not only add moisture but they also help to leaven the cupcakes. The baking powder/applesauce combo will help the cupcakes to rise.
I hope these turn out well for you! Please let me know! Big hugs to you and your family, Kelly!
Lynn
Do you know if these work egg-free? These are my daughter's favorite cupcake, but since her birthday we are needing to go egg free for a time. I would like to make these for Christmas!
Hi Heather and Jake!
Oh my, what a bummer that your frosting seized… okay, first let's fix your curdled frosting; then let's figure out why that could have happened…
Here's how to fix curdled frosting:
1, Put a few tablespoons of the curdled frosting in a small saucepan on top of the stove, over medium-low heat. Stir constantly, until COMPLETELY smooth and melted.
2. Now, pour that melted frosting, immediately over the curdled frosting in your mixing bowl. Beat until light and smooth. If the frosting is not completely smooth, just melt a little more frosting and beat it in until your frosting is creamy.
NOTE: The heat from the melted frosting will smooth out the cold curdled frosting.
Now, here are a few reasons your frosting could have curdled in the first place:
1. Chocolate varies a great deal between brands, so it could be the chocolate.
2. I use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks or Butter… but if you used a margarine or spread that contains a higher amount of water, that could definitely cause the frosting to curdle.
3. Did you add the 1/2 cup water? If you left it out, this would also cause the frosting to curdle.
4, Over-beating frosting can also cause frosting to curdle, so the minute your frosting looks smooth and creamy, stop beating it.
I hope this is helpful! Thanks so much for taking the time to write! I'd love to know how your cupcakes turn out! Lynn
I made your vanilla cupcakes and chocolate frosting today, but something went wrong with my frosting! The chocolate "siezed", since it had melted and chilled in the fridge, and then reacted weird when I added agave. Mine kind of curdled and has liquid seeping out, so it did NOT turn out at all. Can you tell me what I did wrong?