Gluten-Free Hub » Dessert

Easy Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes (from a box!)

Drew — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:42:08 +0000

Crystal’s birthday was over the weekend, so I decided to try my hand at baking one of her very favorites: Red Velvet Cupcakes.

I’m much more of a cook than a baker, but as I mentioned in my last cupcake post, I learned a great deal about doctoring cake mixes from my mother, the Cake Mix Queen. Knowing the basics of red velvet (white flour, vanilla, cocoa and tons of red food coloring), I set out to doctor Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix.

These cupcakes are delicious, easy, quick and beautiful. What more could a wife ask for on her birthday?

Easy Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes about 15)

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1 package chocolate-flavored instant pudding/pie filling (Jello brand is gluten free)
1 stick of butter, softened
8 oz. sour cream
3 eggs
2/3 milk or plain soy milk
2 tbsp. red food coloring (Tones is gluten free)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes (watch out for the food coloring—it stains anything it touches!). Once combined, spoon the mixture into muffin pans lined with cupcake liners. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when you stick it in the center.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for five minutes, then carefully remove them and place them on cooling racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the same cream cheese frosting we used on our gluten free lemon poppyseed cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes more than enough)

8 oz. cold cream cheese (Philadelphia is gluten-free)
5 Tbsp. softened butter
2 tsp. vanilla (Tones is gluten-free)
3 C. powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until combined (but do not whip). Add salt. Gradually add powdered sugar with the mixer on slow until the desired consistency and sweetness is achieved.

Remember that because of the cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes should be kept in the refrigerator if they aren’t eaten within 12-24 hours. Enjoy!

Possibly related posts: (Automatically generated)

Gluten-Free Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes (from a box!)

Drew — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:58:31 +0000

Growing up, my mother’s idea of dinner was often microwave popcorn and diet coke. While her culinary skills are not great, she is, and will always be, the Cake Mix Queen. The cakes and cupcakes she makes from doctored box mixes are moist, flavorful, and usually scarfed down completely only minutes after she smothers them with frosting.

One of my very favorites to make is her lemon poppyseed bundt cake; a cake that became famous among my college friends and is still requested to this day.

When Betty Crocker came out with their gluten free cake mixes, I became excited. Could I use my mom’s recipes with gluten free cake mix the same way as a regular box mix?

To test it out, I made lemon poppyseed cupcakes using the Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix as a base (my mom’s original recipe is a bundt cake, but Crystal really loves cupcakes). The result: moist, spongy, gluten-free perfection!

Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes (makes about 15)

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1 package lemon-flavored instant pudding/pie filling (Jello brand is gluten free)
1 stick of butter, softened
8 oz. sour cream
3 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice (no pulp)
0.8 oz. poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients except poppyseeds in a large mixing bowl at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to its lowest setting and slowing pour the poppyseeds into the batter, scraping the edges of the bowl with a spatula. Once combined, spoon the mixture into muffin pans lined with cupcake liners. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when you stick it in the center.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for five minutes, then carefully remove them and place them on cooling racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting

While the mix doctoring is my realm, Crystal is the frosting queen. She adapted her cream cheese frosting recipe from this one.

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes more than enough)

8 oz. cold cream cheese (Philadelphia is gluten-free)
5 Tbsp. softened butter
2 tsp. vanilla (Tones is gluten-free)
3 C. powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until combined (but do not whip). Add salt. Gradually add powdered sugar with the mixer on slow until the desired consistency and sweetness is achieved.

Because of the cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes should be kept in the refrigerator if they aren’t eaten within 12-24 hours. But they may not last that long!

Possibly related posts: (Automatically generated)

Gluten-free banana bread muffins — Moist!

Drew — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:23:13 +0000

This awesome gluten-free banana bread recipe can be used for either banana bread muffins (a household favorite) or a banana bread loaf. I’ve experimented with several different banana bread recipes, and this one is tops in my book. I think it’s the combination of cinnamon, vanilla and milk (I use 1% or whatever’s in the fridge) that gives these such a great flavor. The muffins will still be soft when they come out of the oven and they will firm up as they cool. Just make sure that when you stick a fork or toothpick in them that it comes out clean.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Muffins
(makes 1 loaf or about 15 muffins)

1 1/2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour (or 1 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup bean or sorghum flour)
1 cup sugar
1 Stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas*, peeled
1 1/2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
1 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp. gluten-free baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

Mix sugar and butter with mixer until creamed and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher, and stir in milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add banana mixture to cream mixture and stir with mixer. Combine remaining dry ingredients. Slowly stir into wet mixture until flour disappears.

For muffins, spoon mixture into greased muffin tins, filling each muffin hole 2/3 full with dough. Bake on middle rack of oven at 350° for 12-15 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden brown.

For a loaf, pour mixture into a greased bread loaf pan. Bake on middle rack of oven at 350° for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges and top are golden brown.

* Note that ripe bananas don’t mean spoiled bananas. If you wouldn’t consider eating it, don’t consider putting it in your bread! Also, if you have ripe bananas but aren’t ready to make your bread today, peel the banana and place it in a ziplock bag in the freezer. They’ll usually stay okay in the freezer for 3-6 months if tightly sealed. When you are ready to use them, just take the bananas out of the freezer and let them thaw for a couple hours at room temperature.

Possibly related posts: (Automatically generated)