A Decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Woo your Valentine with this decadent recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes. No Valentine? No problem…you’re worth it too. They are rich and chocolatey – and so easy to make (you only need one bowl). Plus they have a secret ingredient that really makes them extra special and gives them incredible depth of flavor – red wine! Because chocolate is such a big, bold flavor, you’ll want to use a big, bold wine like a California Cabernet Sauvignon.
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How to Make Red Wine Infused Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
To make these gluten free chocolate cupcakes, I used my trusty recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge Cake. I love it because it comes out perfectly every single time. It’s great in a layer cake, great made into a snack cake, and totally delicious as a cupcake! You might worry that the batter looks too thin – don’t. It’s supposed to be. To add wine to the cupcake recipe, I simply swapped half the hot water for Cabernet. It worked a charm – next time I’m going to try whisky!
Here’s what you need to make this gluten free cupcake recipe:
- Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend – I like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 or Cup4Cup
- Good quality cocoa powder – but even Hershey’s will taste great in these
- Sugar
- Baking powder, baking soda and sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- Whole milk (or any milk substitute you like)
- Vegetable oil (olive oil, avocado oil or sunflower seed oil are all fine)
- Pure vanilla extract
- California Cabernet Sauvignon
Frequently Asked Questions about Gluten Free Cupcakes
If you’re new to gluten free baking you probably have a lot of questions. You might have had a few gluten free baking fails too (I sure have). In my opinion, and I’ve been doing this for quite a while, the first time you make a recipe it’s a good idea to actually FOLLOW IT. And avoid making substitutions.
Gluten free cupcakes, when made with a great recipe (like mine) will not taste any different. In fact, I have friends who aren’t gluten free who actually prefer my cakes to the “regular” ones.
There are a few things I like to do to make sure cupcakes stay moist. Adding whole fat dairy and enough fat in general is very important. It’s also important to not over bake the cupcakes.
You’ll know when gluten free cupcakes are done by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of them. It should come out clean. The top should also be springy when pressed gently with your finger.
There are a variety of flours you can use to make gluten free cupcakes. Usually they are a combination of whole grain flours like brown rice or sorghum and starches like tapioca and potato. Most of the time when I’m baking cupcakes I prefer to use a premade flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1. It’s easier and gives consistent results every time.
How to decorate cupcakes
It’s so easy to decorate cupcakes – way easier than decorating a cake! Here are a few of my favorite supplies to get a beautiful, professional looking cupcake:
- Tulip Shaped Paper Liners – these are tall and help your cupcakes (and muffins) rise high and mighty
- Wilton Pastry Bags – these are very sturdy and don’t burst at the seams
- Large Open Star Piping Tip – use this to simply swirl frosting around the top of the cupcakes
- Pomegranate arils – natures sprinkles
- Fresh mint leaves
- Strawberries – stemmed then cut in half so they look like hearts
If chocolate is your one true love, you’ve gotta try these gluten free chocolate recipes:
- Gluten-Free Fudge Cake for All Your Celebrations
- Easy & Delicious Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
- Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Muffins
- The Best Recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
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A Decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- tulip paper liners
- large star tip
Ingredients
For The Cupcakes
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 or Cup4Cup are my preferences
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your flour blend already contains it the two mentioned above do
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup whole milk or milk substitute of your choice
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ¼ cup canola oil or avocado oil or mild olive oil
- 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup of piping hot water
- ¼ cup red wine Cabernet Sauvignon
For The Frosting
- ½ cup butter or dairy free stick butter substitute of your choice, melted and cooled slightly
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar, flour, xanthan (if using), cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Carefully whisk in the hot water and wine. The batter will be runny.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter between the liners and bake for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let them cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then carefully remove cupcakes to a rack to finish cooling completely.
- Make the frosting. Whisk the melted butter into the cocoa powder until thoroughly combined. Alternate adding the sugar with the wine while beating until the frosting is smooth and glossy and a spreadable consistency. If the frosting seems too thick, add a splash of cream. If it seems too thin, add additional powdered sugar. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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