Serious Eats - seriouseats.com
What's Fresh
Gluten-Free Tuesday: Spice Cupcakes
[Photographs: Elizabeth Barbone]
It's clear by now that cupcakes are here to stay—and I, for one, couldn't be happier. Not only are easy to eat (and cute), they're great for gluten-free bakers--especially if you live alone or in a small household. Cupcakes are easy to freeze. You can make a batch, eat a few, and then freeze the rest. Then when the cake-mood strikes (or you get invited to a birthday party), you can reach for an emergency cupcake in the freezer.
Even after the pumpkin breads of the fall and gingerbread of the holiday season, I still crave a spicy cake. And this one does not disappoint. As written, this recipe makes a tender spice cake with a slight buttermilk tang.
You might notice that the ingredient list is long. I tried whittling the recipe down. When I did, the cake suffered. Measuring the ingredients is the most labor-intensive part of making the cake. After the ingredients are measured, you just stir everything together and bake. Once baked, allow the cupcakes to cool before icing. I like cream cheese icing on these cupcakes. To freeze, just pop them into a freezer-safe plastic container.
About the author: Elizabeth Barbone of GlutenFreeBaking.com joins us every Tuesday with a new gluten-free recipe. Elizabeth is an alumna of the Culinary Institute of America and Mount Mary College. With her solid professional baking background, Elizabeth is known for creating gluten-free recipes that taste just like their wheat counterparts. She is the author of Easy Gluten-Free Baking.
About This Recipe
| Yield: | 20 cupcakes |
| Active time: | 30 minutes |
| Total time: | 1 hour and 20 minutes |
| Rated: |   |
Ingredients
- For the Cake
- Dry Ingredients
- 3 1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) brown rice flour
- 3 1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) white rice flour
- 3 3/4 ounces (1/2 cup) packed dark brown sugar
- 3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) cornstarch
- 1 ounce (1/4 cup) tapioca starch
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- For the Icing
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) butter, softened
- 8 ounces (2 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Procedures
-
1
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 20 muffin cavities with paper liners or grease with gluten-free non-stick cooking spray.
-
2
In a small bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, white rice flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, tapioca starch, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, xanthan gum, and salt.
-
3
In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, vegetable oil, and eggs. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add dry ingredients. Whisk, using an electric mixer or handheld whisk, until a smooth batter forms, about two minutes.
-
4
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake cupcakes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
-
5
Remove cupcakes from pan. Place on wire rack to cool. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare icing.
-
6
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Cream until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla. Cream until smooth. Icing should be spreadable. If needed, add an additional 1/2 tablespoon milk. Spread icing on cooled cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored for up to three days at room temperature or frozen for one month.
Comments