Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Chocolate Frosting - Gluten Free

This delicious recipe for gluten free Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Chocolate Frosting is one of (6) tempting cupcake recipes that I included in my Cupcake Craze feature article in the Fall '09 issue of Delight Gluten Free magazine. If you haven't had a chance to experience Delight Gluten Free magazine yet, I highly recommend it. There are so many delicious recipes inside, it will make you hungry just reading it!


This is the perfect all-occasion chocolate cupcake recipe. One bite of these, and you won't believe they are gluten free! These gluten free Chocolate cupcakes are not dry, dense or gritty. These are cupcakes like you remember them... honest to goodness can't-stop-at-one cupcakes. You really need to whip up a batch for your self to believe it!


Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Chocolate Frosting - Gluten Free

½ cup sorghum flour
½ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup white rice flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
¾ cup salted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 recipe Fluffy Chocolate Frosting (recipe provided below)
1 oz square semi-sweet baking chocolate, shaved (optional, for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350˚. Prepare cupcake pans with paper liners. Whisk the flours together. Add the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda to the flours and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Beat in the butter until creamy. Slowly add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk. Fill the cupcake liners until nearly full. Bake for 16-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then remove cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack. Frost cooled cupcakes with Fluffy Chocolate Frosting and sprinkle with shaved chocolate if desired. Yield: approximately 1-1/2 dozen cupcakes.

Fluffy Chocolate Frosting - Gluten Free

Makes 3 cups

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus additional if needed
1/3 cup milk, plus additional if needed
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (for flavor variations, try raspberry, peppermint, or coconut extract instead of vanilla and use 1 teaspoon of chosen extract instead of 2)
¼ teaspoon salt

Place the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft and well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Place the confectioners’ sugar, 1/3 cup milk, vanilla, and salt in the bowl, and beat with the mixer on low speed until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more milk if the frosting is too thick, OR confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon at time if the frosting is too thin. If a firmer frosting is desired, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or use immediately to frost your cupcakes or cake. Yield: 3 cups frosting.

* Cupcake recipe adapted from recipezaar.com

*Frosting recipe adapted from The Cake Doctor Cookbook

Enjoy!