A little bird told me that this month is “Cupcake Month”.  I love month’s that are assigned to honor a delectable treat.  That means that all month long apparently it’s ok to indulge in a little cupcake here and there and I can legitimately get away with it by saying, “Well, it’s Cupcake Month – Don’t you know?”!

Cupcakes seemed to have become the new thing these days.  A cute little store just opened up in town serving cupcakes and lingerie – (somewhat of an interesting combination, but it seems to be working and the store is very cute).  I think the intrigue about cupcakes is that they are adorably proportioned for a single serving and they can be equally as decadent as a full-grown cake!  Cupcakes for themed parties, weddings, holidays, birthdays and the like all seem to be more common place these days.

So what about gluten-free cupcakes?  There shouldn’t be any mystery to mastering an authentic tasting gluten-free cupcake.  The key, as in full size gluten-free cakes, is the gluten-free flour mixture that you use.  Today, there are many gluten-free all purpose flours on the market and they are getting better all the time.  Our most recent favorite that has yielded great results as a straight substitution for flour is Jules All Purpose Flour, but there are many others that our subscribers enjoy with great results.  

Here are three fabulous cupcake recipes that you’ll be proud to serve and anyone will be thrilled to eat!  The first is a very grown-up cupcake that would make a perfect dessert to even the most sophisticated meal; Chocolate Grand Marnier Cupcakes.  The centers are soft and rich, almost like mousse. These cupcakes can be made a day ahead and kept chilled until ready to bake.  Decadent and delicious, these are sure to be a favorite.  Our second is Carrot Spice Muffins (Cupcakes).  We originally categorized this recipe as a muffin, but it can also double as a fantastic cupcake.  In fact, we prefer it as a dessert!  The third recipe is one for those who are on a gluten-free, casein free diet – our Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting – a delicious treat that is full of decadence.

Chocolate Mousse Grand Marnier Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
  
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 egg yolks
  
• 2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier
  
• 1/4 cup gf flour
  
• Whipping cream for topping

Directions
Line a 12 muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
Combine chopped chocolate and butter to a small saucepan over low heat. Stir with a rubber spatula until melted. Remove from heat. Add sugar, eggs, egg yolks and Grand Marnier to a large bowl and beat with electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until thickened and light in color. Sprinkle flour over batter and fold in with a rubber spatula. Fold in melted chocolate. Fill muffin cups half full and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. You can keep these in the refrigerator for up to a day before baking.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bake for about 7 minutes. Cupcakes should puff and crack and an inserted toothpick should come out with moist batter attached. Let cool, the center of the cupcakes may fall slightly. When cool, the center of the cupcakes will be soft, almost like pudding. Top cooled cupcakes with whipped cream and serve.

Tips
You can keep these cupcakes in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Carrot Spice Muffins

• 1-1/3 cups Gluten Free Pantry French Bread Flour Mix
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon gf baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1-1/2 cups finely grated carrots
  
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
  
• 1 cup golden raisins

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces gf cream cheese
  
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 2 teaspoons gf vanilla
  
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  
• Grated lemon or orange zest (optional)

Directions
For Muffins:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tins or line with muffin cups.
In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk all dry ingredients together. Add oil and eggs, beating on low speed. Stir in carrots, nuts, and raisins.
Divide batter into muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted into 1 or 2 muffins comes out clean, approximately 15-18 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before removing from pan.
Set on baking rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
These muffins will keep, covered for several days.
For Frosting:
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until just blended. Add powdered sugar, one-third at a time, until just smooth and frosting has reached desired consistency. (Optional: `stir in lemon or orange zest for additional flavoring.)
This frosting will keep refrigerated for about 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months. Soften and stir until smooth before using.

Tips
This recipe is made for 12 standard size muffins, however you can also use jumbo muffins tins, or mini muffin tins - just adjust the baking times as follows:
Jumbo - bake for 22-25 minutes
Standard - bake for 15-18 minutes
Mini - bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Have all ingredients at room temperature, 68-70 degrees F.
Tips for Cream Cheese Frosting:
Don't overbeat the cream cheese.
Cold (not softened) cream cheese produces the best texture of frosting.

We used The Gluten Free Pantry's Country French bread flour mix for the gf flour in this recipe.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cupcakes:

• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
  
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
  
• 1-1/2 cups gf flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 1/2 cup canola oil
  
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

For the Frosting:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
  
• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
For cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with liners.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not boiling water. Remove pan from heat.
Combine sugar, gf flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, sour cream and canola oil. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in chocolate. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until all ingredients are smoothly blended.
Fill muffin cups about two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For frosting:
Place (cold) cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add food coloring if desired. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes prior to frosting cupcakes.

Tips
We used The Gluten Free Pantry's Country French Bread Flour Mix for the gf flour in this recipe

Coconut Cupcakes

If you want some more ideas for delicious cupcakes check out these awesome recipes:

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Filling
Coconut Cupcakes
Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

- Enjoy

- Chef Jessica

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