Hi Everyone,
I am so excited for today’s recipe! But first let me say Happy Birthday to Little Jenny! Today she turns 22! I guess she’s not so little anymore. For her birthday I made her one of her all time favorite cupcakes, Red Velvet! However, my nutritionist put me on a gluten-free diet, to see how I would feel. So with that in mind I kind of winged it and made my traditional version of Red Velvet Cupcakes gluten-free.
I have to say I am so impressed, and probably one of the best cupcakes I have made. I did a little research on baking gluten-free and with everything I read, I combined my new-found knowledge in these cupcakes. I found the key is to add xanthan gum and more liquid to the batter. That prevents the cupcakes from being dense and heavy. In case you are not sure what xanthan gum is, it’s a powdered thickener that is gluten-free. It’s kind of pricey, but a little bit goes a long way. A bag has lasted me well over a year. Just be sure to keep it int he refrigerator. You recommended it to me when I made my frappes. It keeps the frappe from separating. You can find it in the gluten-free or health food section of the grocery store. It’s made by Bob Mills. You can also make these cupcakes the same way by using cake flour in place of gluten-free flour mix and skip the xanthan gum.
The cupcakes turned out light, fluffy and has the most wonderful red velvet taste. I also made a simple cream cheese frosting to go over the top. The only issue I found when making these cupcakes is that the top comes out a little lumpy, I didn’t smooth the batter out. But the frosting covers that.
The true test if they taste good is how Jenny and my Husband liked them. They both said they were so good and had no clue they were gluten-free. Yah! I know I loved them and had to control myself from eating them all!!
- 1¼ cups Gluten Free Flour Mix (I used Trader Joe's)
- 1 tsp. xanthan gum
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 1 tbsp. canola or butter flavored olive oil
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 egg whites
- ½ tsp.pure vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp. red velvet food coloring or 1 tbsp. red food coloring
- ½ cup + 1 Tbsp. nonfat milk
- ½ tsp. white distilled vinegar
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, reduced fat, room temperature
- ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a standard muffin tin with muffin liners (I used the foil liners); set aside.
- In a bowl sift together flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and unsweetened cocoa powder; set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, add milk, vinegar,mix together; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, applesauce oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla extract. Beat in food coloring. Slowly beat in milk mixture and flour mixture, alternating between them.
- Fill prepared muffin tins ¾ way full with batter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the center of the cupcake come out clean with a toothpick.
- Let the cupcakes cool on a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, to make the frosting. In a bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread the frosting over the cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
In my opinion I think these cupcakes tastes best eaten the day you make them.
Calories per cupcake: 191, Fat: 8, Cholesterol: 20, Sodium: 157, Potassium: 29, Carbs: 28, Fiber: .02, Sugar: 17.8, Protein: 2.5
I am really happy on how these cupcakes turned out. Actually I am really, really impressed! I am also glad that they were a hit with my family. Just goes to show that gluten-free doesn’t have to be heavy! That’s one thing I don’t like about gluten-free baking. Now I can have my cupcake and eat it too!!
Happy Birthday Jenny!!!!
Have a wonderful day!
Toodles,
Jennifer
