Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

These Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes are moist, tender, and richly chocolatey. Perfect for every celebration, these cupcakes, and the most decadent chocolate buttercream frosting can be made in only 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 194kcal

Author: Amanda McGillicuddy

Equipment

2 Mixing bowls
Whisk
Rubber Spatula
12-count muffin tin
Paper Muffin liners
Stand mixer with whisk attachment for frosting

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or another 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking flour with xanthan gum, spooned and leveled (150 g)
⅓ cup 100% natural cocoa powder, unsweetened (35 g)
2 teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Sea salt
¾ cup Whole milk Greek yogurt room temperature (175 g)
½ cup Butter, melted and slightly cooled (4 ounces/113 g)
¼ cup Milk any type, room temperature
¾ cup Granulated sugar (160 g)
2 Eggs, large room temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup Butter, softened I used salted butter, but unsalted can also be used (8 ounces/ 226 g)
½ cup Unsweetened 100% natural cocoa powder (41 g)
3 tablespoon Heavy cream room temp (45 ml)
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon Sea salt or to taste
3 cups Powdered sugar sifted, if needed (360 g)

Instructions

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until the cocoa is evenly dispersed and there are no lumps. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the room-temperature whole milk Greek yogurt, sugar, melted butter, room-temperature milk, room-temperature eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk together until well combined and a smooth batter forms. Avoid over-mixing.
Use a 2-ounce scoop to divide the batter equally among the wells of a 12-count muffin tin lined with paper liners.
Place the cupcakes in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes (20 minutes was perfect for my oven), or until you can poke the center of a cupcake with a toothpick and have it come out cleanly. While the cupcakes are baking prepare the frosting. Wait until the cupcakes have cooled completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, add the softened butter, cocoa, room-temperature heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Add ⅓ of the powdered sugar (about 1 cup) to the bowl and begin to whip together. Use a low speed at first and increase slowly. Once the powdered sugar is worked in, add the remaining powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Mix until a smooth consistency is achieved. Taste the frosting and adjust the sweetness or salt if needed.
Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Before use, allow frosting to come to room temperature and return it to the stand mixer to whip on medium speed until smooth.

Notes

For the cupcakes:

- Measure the gluten-free flour using the "spoon and level" method to avoid over-packing it.

- Allow refrigerated ingredients to come to room temperature before using. This will prevent cold ingredients from solidifying the melted butter and making it hard to mix in evenly.

- Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop to divide the batter into 12 perfect cupcakes.

- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent it from melting.

For the frosting:

Use softened butter and room-temperature heavy cream to result in a smooth and decadent frosting.

If sensitive to salt, use unsalted butter for the frosting to avoid it becoming too salty.

If you do not own a stand mixer, a handheld electric mixer can be used. I prefer using my Kitchenaid Mixer because it makes this frosting effortless to make and results in consistently smooth, creamy frosting.

Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time to avoid making a huge mess. Using the shield that comes with your Kitchenaid is also helpful.

Leftover chocolate buttercream frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Just allow it to come to room temperature before using, and whip it again in the mixer if needed.

Storage:

Store gluten-free chocolate cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They will keep for longer in the refrigerator, but the longer they are stored the more likely they will become a little dry, especially in the cool dry air of the fridge.

These cupcakes can be made ahead and frozen for longer storage. To do so, allow the cupcakes to cool completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap (I like the Press and Seal wrap) and place them in a freezer bag. Additionally, to protect against freezer burn, I also wrap the bag in tin foil. The cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw the cupcakes at room temperature for about 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

Nutrition information calculated using ⅔ of the frosting yeild.

Nutrition