Tuesday, March 4, 2008

An AWESOME recipe for Gluten-free cake/cupcakes

We had tried the Gluten-Free Pantry's cake mix recipe earlier this fall. It was pretty dry and crumbly, but I went on the hunt for a recipe using that same cake mix, but modified to taste like "regular cake". We did a test run of it at Christmas time and it went over VERY well. I used it again for my daughter's birthday in January and no one could tell the difference. The recipe I used was from Catherine at Gluten-Free Guide. She was very helpful when I had some questions about the recipe.

This was, hands-down, the best gluten-free cake I have made. I plan on using the recipe again when my daughter goes to friends' birthday parties, but just making them in cupcake form, so all we have to bring is one cupcake.

As for frosting, I used a simple buttercream recipe using real butter, milk, gluten-free vanilla (McCormick's is safe) and powdered sugar. You can add food dye, if you would like a specific color. If you want pure white, you can use clear vanilla.

Here is the recipe Catherine posted on her blog, just in case something happens to her site:

Celebratory Cupcakes

Yellow Gluten Free Cupcakes (adapted from the Celiac Disease Delphi Forums)
1 package Gluten Free Pantry Old Fashioned cake mix*

1 package Jello vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup sugar
4 extra large eggs room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 C orange juice
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

*Do not follow the directions on the package

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat on high speed for two minutes.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill liners 2/3 to ¾ of the way full.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If making a cake, grease the pan first, pour in the mix and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (adapted from Domino Sugar)
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 stick (8T) of good unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons good vanilla extract
¼ cup of milk

Combine half of the sugar with the butter and beat on low speed. Add the wet ingredients and beat. Slowly add the rest of the sugar while mixing until combined. Beat on medium-high speed for at least two minutes until the frosting is smooth and creamy. If you want the frosting to be a little bit stiffer (better for decorating) add powdered sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time. Frost cupcakes with icing at room temperature.

Tip - I find if I am going to a party that cupcakes are difficult to transport already frosted. Instead I keep the cupcakes and frosting in separate Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers and then frost them quickly upon arrival. They may not be pretty but they will taste good. This recipe stood up against cupcakes made by a professional working at Martha Stewart! Making homemade frosting is key – it doesn’t take that much extra effort on your part but it will take your baked goods to the next level.

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