Gluten & Dairy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

I feel as though "Gluten Free" is the new "Black".

There is finally a lot of literature coming out on the topic, and most people seem to be on board for living healthier lives and kicking the wheat habit.

As always, I've taken a long break from all my blogs, but I seem to be having conversations with so many people about their desire to cut gluten and dairy from their diets that I thought I would post some recipes for anyone interested in giving this lifestyle a try. Of course peoples' biggest fear however, is that anything they make will end up tasting like cardboard. I'm here to tell you, this is not the case. So long as you stay away from prepackaged/already made items, you have nothing to worry about. In fact, I'm enjoying food now more than ever. I love that what I eat has so much more flavor, and when it's all said and done, I never feel bloated; I don't get headaches, neck-aches, backaches, stiff joints, brain fog, or massive fatigue after any meals. My family and I have been gluten and dairy-free for almost two years now, and I would never go back. Don't get me wrong, I have cheat days once in a while; but that is not an option for my daughter who has a real intolerance to both gluten and dairy. Which means when we're home there's no budging.

I had the opportunity to manage a medical clinic that had 100% of their patients walking out the door with a prescription to eliminate at least gluten from their diets completely. So if you have any questions as to what gluten really does to the body, that isn't published in most "popular" books out there, or you want to know how to substitute any ingredient to become gluten or dairy-free - don't hesitate to ask.

Today I'm going to share the best cupcake recipe I've come across. You can find it at www.allrecipes.com, however, keep in mind, most of the recipes I post have been ones I've found that are neither gluten or dairy-free.

The icing recipe is from a cookbook I've recently collected called "The Confetti Cakes Cookbook". The author is a professional cake designer and her recipes and designs are amazing, but again, not gluten or dairy-free.

Gluten & Dairy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups Quinoa Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Gluten-free baking power
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (organic cocoa powder is generally dairy-free)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (I use a splash of sea salt)
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups cane sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. 
3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite frosting when cool.  

 

Cupcake Frosting  

 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup vegan butter
• 8 cups cane sugar confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• a splash of lemon juice

Directions

1.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.
2. Turn the mixer to low speed and add 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Scrape the bowl thoroughly.
3. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla. Add to butter-sugar mixture. Set the mixer to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Gradually add the remaining confectioners' sugar, adding as much as you need to achieve a smooth and stiff consistency.
5. Use immediately, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 10 days. 

A few notes* This icing recipe makes a whole lotta icing! It's easily enough icing to ice approx. 40 cupcakes or more. 

If you own a KitchenAid mixer, I strongly suggest making the icing in that, or you could have a bit of a mess on your hands.