Vanilla cupcakes (g-f/d-f) with CHOCOLATE frosting (paleo)

 

These are based on Glutenfreegoddess's vanilla cupcake recipe and Elana Amsterdam's Paleo Chocolate Frosting (links below).

We brought these in to school at pick-up today for Valentine's Day and I was surprised at how popular they were. The frosting was just insane. They are also exactly the right size to give to an 8-year old after school so that they don't go completely bonkers for the next 30 minutes followed by a bottomless freakout while the sugar leaves their system.

Speaking of which, as usual, I cut the sugar in half, made it rapadura and filled it in with xylitol.

Other tweaks: I almost never use as much salt as these recipes call for. In this case I used 1/4 teaspoon, or just enough to intrigue the baking soda.  If you are not a coconut milk fan, this could work with other non-dairy milks. Just make sure that they are unsweetened, or leave off some of the sweetener.


G-F/D-F Vanilla Cupcakes:

Makes 24 teeny cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sorghum flour
• 1 cup potato starch (not flour)
• 1/2 cup rapadura
• 1/4 cup xylitol
• 1 teaspoon guar gum
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a teeny cupcake pan with paper or parchment liners.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: the flour, the starch, the sweeteners, the guar gum and the leavening. Add in the coconut milk, the egg, coconut oil, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat with a mixer until blended, but be careful not to overbeat.

With two small teaspoons, fill each liner. (We gave each one a chocolate "heart" by 1/4 filling each one, adding 2 chocolate chips, and filling them up the the 3/4 mark with batter.) Smooth out each top with a knife or spoon.

Bake 15 minutes or until a skewer poked into the center of one comes out clean.

Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove and let cool entirely on a wire rack.

Unbelievable and Addictive CHOCOLATE Frosting:

• 2 cups soy-free dark chocolate chips (we used Guittard's which contains sunflower lecithin instead of soy).
• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Warm the chocolate chips and oil in a small pan on very low heat or in a double boiler, stirring constantly until melted. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla. Refrigerate until just barely set, about 30 minutes. Spread on completely cool cupcakes. Refrigerate to make sure it stays solid enough to stay in place. (Elana says to hand-beat it out of the refrigerator, but I found that it spreads just fine without that step.)

Fair warning to the unsuspecting innocent: I had to make myself put it away because it is fudgy and addictive. It is also perfect with a spoonful of nut butter.

From Karina at Glutenfreegoddess:
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/08/vanilla-cupcakes-with-mocha-icing.html

From Elana at Elanaspantry:
http://elanaspantry.com/paleo-chocolate-frosting/