Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes

A simple recipe for a delicious traditional cupcake! As a coeliac it is hard to see the beautifully decorated cupcakes they sell in cafes and bakeries and not be able to eat them but then I remember I can recreate my own delicious gluten-free, lactose-free ones at home and probably for a fraction of the price! I decided to do a pretty pink frosting on these cupcakes; when I use food colouring I don’t use the ones you can find in supermarkets, I use a paste as they are so much easier to work with. You use much less and it is not as sticky as the gel or liquid food colouring. The brand I use is this, and for this particular recipe I used rose pink but obviously it doesn’t matter what colour you choose.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 6 oz gluten-free self-raising flour
• 4 oz caster sugar
• 4 oz Vitalite (or margarine/butter if you do not need to make it lactose-free)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• 450g icing sugar
• 200g margarine/butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• food colouring

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/ 180 C

Place the self-raising flour, Vitalite (or margarine/butter), caster sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Then add the milk to the bowl and whisk everything together with an electric hand-held mixer, or stand mixer if you have one. Whisk it for a good 3-4 minutes to make sure everything is well combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.

Next, line a 12 hole cupcake tin with cupcake cases and fill each case about 3/4 full with the cake mixture; make sure they are no fuller than this as it will make the cupcakes nice and rounded and therefore easier to pipe on.

Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes; until they are golden brown. Check them by inserting a skewer near the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean then they are done.

Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack and leave them to cool completely before you decorate them.

For the frosting:

Place the margarine or butter in a small-medium mixing bowl and whisk it with an electric mixer. It is essential to whisk the butter for at least 5 minutes; until it is light and fluffy. It needs to be like this in order for the buttercream to be smooth enough to pipe. Add half of the icing sugar into the bowl and whisk again for another 3-4 minutes, then add the remaining icing sugar and mix once again for a couple of minutes before adding the milk and mixing for another 2-3 minutes. I’ve said it before but the key for perfect buttercream is patience and lots of whisking! If you want coloured frosting add a couple of drops when you add the milk.

For this cupcake I used an 8 point closed star nozzle like this.

I also use disposable piping bags (because I am lazy and hate washing them up!). Fold the piping bag over as it makes it easier to put the icing in.

Don’t put all the icing in; just a bit at a time otherwise the warmth of your hand will ruin the consistency of the frosting. Squeeze the bag with a little pressure to make a little swirl then let go of the pressure to form a small peak at the top of the flower and one by one work around the cupcake.

Enjoy your yummy Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes!