Gluten Free Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberries and Vanilla Buttercream
A zippy little gluten free cake to celebrate spring
Hello friends,
Are you ready for strawberries where you live? It ranges so much, our friends in Florida have them much sooner than our Canadian friends of course, so hopefully I’ve caught you in time to enjoy this recipe with ripe juicy fresh picked berries where you are. If not, this would be lovely with blueberries or stone fruit, whatever is growing next and smells lovely at the farmers market.
This cupcake recipe is based on a classic French yogurt cake. The acidity in the yogurt (or vinegar mixed with coconut milk) causes the leavaners in the cake to really kick into overdrive and so produces a fluffy puffy sort of vanilla cupcake with a lovely dome. That gives us more space to fill up with macerated berries!
The frosting here is a classic American style buttercream, the simplest of buttercreams with powdered sugar and butter or nondairy stick butter (do be sure to use the stick the tub is too watery!) I’ve used homemade vanilla extract here that is full of tiny vanilla seeds, you could also use a vanilla bean if you have one. This frosting creates a nice creamy cap for the strawberry filled cake, but you could also use whipped cream if you’re going to eat the cupcakes right away.
I’d love to hear any questions you have in the comments. Also, I’ve listed my upcoming gluten free cooking classes below - what classes would you like to see? Drop me a comment and let me know!!
Happy gluten free baking,
Rachel
Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberries and Vanilla Buttercream
12 cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
2 large eggs
1 cup (240g) plain unsweetened yogurt (or nondairy yogurt)
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) One to one gluten free flour blend such as King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bob’s Red Mill 1to1 gluten free flour (or gluten free pastry flour – recipe included)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
¼ tsp salt
For the filling:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 pint strawberries
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners or butter the pan. In a large mixing-bowl, gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil.
Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the liquid mixture, mixing just until all traces of flour disappear.
Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pan evenly, and gently tap on the counter. Bake for 18-21 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the middle reads 205-210F. Let stand for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Cut the leafy tops off the strawberries and slice them. Toss the 2 Tb sugar with the strawberries and let stand while the cupcakes are cooling.
When cool take a spoon and hollow out a small area in the middle of the cupcake. Add the macerated strawberries, and put the piece of cake that was removed back on like a “hat”. Frost with vanilla buttercream (recipe follows) and serve!
Vanilla American Buttercream
½ lb unsalted butter or nondairy stick butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2-4 tablespoons milk or nondairy milk as needed
2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine the butter, sugar salt, and vanilla in a bowl. Start mixing with an electric mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter. Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add milk, starting with 2 tablespoons adding more if frosting is too thick.
Store unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to a week or in the freezer up to 3 months and bring it back to room temperature before using to pipe or frost.
This flour is the perfect mix for the cookies, cakes, muffins, and quick-breads in your life. It’s light and feathery and gives you a light melting mouthfeel. Weighing your ingredients will give you MUCH better results! On a simple scale put a medium to large bowl, shake or spoon on the flours and hit that “Zero” or “tare” button after each one. Voila! Cleanup is nearly nonexistent and you’ve got a much more reliable GF flour! Note- this flour is not meant to be used in yeast based recipes, breads and cinnamon rolls need a bit more strength and not as much tenderness.
Gluten Free Pastry Flour Mix
yield: a generous 8 cups (1,177g)
2 cup (260g) sweet white rice flour (mochi flour or mochiko)
2 cup (256g) fine brown rice flour
2 cup (380g) potato starch
1 cup (118g) sorghum flour
1 cup (160g) tapioca flour
4 tsp (3g) xanthan gum
Scoop all ingredients into a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Store in an airtight container.
