Birthday cupcakes (gluten free)

Hello readers,

Previously, I told you about my trials for gluten free cupcakes. It was very fun to try out (I WENT ON AN ADVENTURE :D)! Finally, the time has come for the full report.

Chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing for Floor! 

A few weeks ago, a good friend of my mom asked me if I could bake cupcakes for the birthday of her daughter (Floor). Sure, it's always fun to bake birthday cupcakes :) one condition: they have to be gluten free.

... And thus began my adventure in the gluten free baking world. I had never ever baked gluten free before. I know gluten is in the most common things, so I did some research work and did my trials last weekend.

More birthday cupcakes.. :D

Last Monday, I brought two gluten free cupcakes to work, to let my colleagues try. They couldn't even tell they were gluten free! Mission accomplished, the real deal started last Friday.

The things a baker needs to keep in mind when baking gluten free is to make the baked good fluffy/blubbly/airy, binding and moist. Not an easy job when gluten free ingredients contain neither of the previous aspects. You simply can't take a recipe for regular cupcakes and replace the flour with gluten free flour. You'll have to change the way you prepare cupcakes to create a good tasting gluten free cupcake.

As it is hard to find a good recipe for gluten free cupcakes, I will share mine with you! This is for approx. 12 cupcakes:

4 large eggs
150 gr sugar
125 gr softened butter (double check for gluten!)
a pinch of salt
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
1 tablespoon of gluten free baking powder
150 grams of gluten free flour (choose flour of choice, I used Schaer Mix C, Kuchen & Kekse)
1-1,5 tablespoon of jam (choose flavour of choice, I used strawberry)

12 cupcake cups
cupcake tray

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Start off by turning on your oven: 175 degrees celsius, fan. Separating your eggs and remove the seeds of the vanilla pod. Mix the egg yolks, butter, salt, 100 grams of sugar and the vanilla seeds until you get a pale mixture.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the egg-butter mixture and blend.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining amount of sugar (50 grams) and beat again until stiff peaks form. Best way to test if your egg whites are stiff enough is to turn the bowl upside down over your head :D

Perfect silky egg whites <3

In four turns, fold the egg whites into the mixture until you get a smooth batter. Fill the cupcake cups for 75-80% and place the cupcake tray in the middle of the oven. Bake until golden brown (approx. 20 minutes).

You can test if the cupcakes are ready by poking the top of the cupcake. If the cupcake bounces back flexibly, they're done! You can also test it by taking a bamboo skewer and pierce the cupcake. If the skewer comes out clean, they're ready :-)

Look how shiny the chocolate batter is! 

I also made chocolate cupcakes! Use the ingredients I mentioned before, but replace 50 grams of the flour by 50 grams of cocoa. Sift in with the flour and follow the rest of the recipe :-)

And that's how you get gluten free cupcakes that taste like regular cupcakes. Using eggs whites to bake cupcakes is the best way to bake fluffy, light cupcakes. Adding jam to the mixture makes them extra moist. I personally think you shouldn't add less than a tablespoon, but likely more. A good, full tablespoon is the perfect amount. And the vanilla seeds add more flavour to the 'flavourless' gluten free bakings.

Close up on the vanilla cupcakes with orange icing :)

I added a regular butter cream (replaces the flour with corn starch) in vanilla and orange flavored to the cupcakes, decorated with bright colours (as Floor requested) and added some sugared soccer balls, as football is one of her favourite things to do :-)

You might have noticed the flags in the cupcakes too. I made these myself, with some inspiration of Pinterest :-)

Tutorial to make cute mini-flags! 

Aren't the flags cute? And very easy to make! You don't need special or specific equipment, just some scissors, toothpicks and washi tape. Cut off a piece of washi tape, press the toothpick down in the middle so it sticks to the tape. Roll over, stick together and cut off the access bits. Tada, you've got yourself a homemade, supercute mini-flag :D

So, today I had to deliver the cupcakes so I packed them in several boxes, keeping a constant eye on the boxes to see if the cupcakes were still alright. I delivered the cupcakes and received a lovely thank you gift from Floor herself <3

<3<3

Beautiful roses, my favourite flowers (I almost typed flours there, lol)! <3 Thank you so much for this lovely order, I had so much fun trying out gluten free baking and got to know a lot more about food shopping, ingredients and the types of food that contain (and don't contain) gluten!

Time for the next big event: on Wednesday I will have a baking photoshoot! I will star two or three different desserts. Definitely cupcakes! So excited, can't wait!

See you soon readers!!!! :D

Love, Rebecca