Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Icing
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Did someone say... cupcakes?
And better yet, pumpkin cupcakes? My favorite, hands down. Warm spicy fall flavors in a sweet morsel of cakey confection topped with a creamy icing. What's not to love?
These tender gluten-free cupcake beauties have just the right balance of pumpkin and sweetness, ginger and cinnamon. They're not overly spicy. And as written, they're dairy-free (the cream cheese we used to make the icing is vegan and it worked beautifully). Note that vegan or lactose free cream cheese is typically less stiff than dairy cream cheese. If you are using dairy based cream cheese, soften it first.
Have a safe and beautiful week!
Karina xo
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Icing
I used some almond flour in this particular recipe, but it is easy to replace. To make this recipe nut-free replace the almond flour with a medium weight flour, such as sorghum, millet, or even buckwheat.Ingredients:
1 cup sorghum flour (GF oat flour or brown rice flour)
1 cup organic light brown sugar
3/4 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup almond flour or hazelnut flour
1 teaspoon gelatin or xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
1 cup canned organic pumpkin
2 organic free-range eggs, beaten or egg replacer*
2 teaspoons Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract (or your favorite vanilla extract)
For the icing:
2 cups powdered sugar, more if needed
1/4 cup chilled vegan cream cheese (or soft dairy cream cheese)
2-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, as needed
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a 12-muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: sorghum flour, light brown sugar, tapioca starch, white cane sugar, almond flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, sea salt, and nutmeg.
2. Add in the coconut oil by pieces, cutting in with a pastry cutter or your mixer's whisk/whip attachment, until the mixture is sandy. Add in the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, and beat on medium high for 1-2 minutes until the cake batter is smooth and stretchy.Spoon the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and smooth out the tops.
3. Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 22 to 25 minutes or so, until the tops are firm but springy. Ovens vary widely, so watch these babies and check with a cake tester if you need to.Cool in the pan only briefly, until the cupcakes are cool enough to handle. Then remove them from the baking pan and cool on a wire rack for one hour before frosting. Meanwhile, make your icing.
4. Pour the powdered sugar into a clean mixing bowl and add the cream cheese. Start beating to combine the cream cheese and sugar. Add pure maple syrup a tablespoon at a time, just until the frosting is soft and smooth. I only needed 2 tablespoons. Beat on medium-high for a minute or two until the frosting is glossy, fluffy and smooth. Cover and chill as the cupcakes cool.
5. Use a clean icing knife to frost the cupcakes. Chill in the fridge briefly to set the frosting. To store your extras: top each chilled/set cupcake with a square of parchment paper, then wrap, bag and freeze.Makes 12 cupcakes.
Notes:
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a 12-muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: sorghum flour, light brown sugar, tapioca starch, white cane sugar, almond flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, sea salt, and nutmeg.
2. Add in the coconut oil by pieces, cutting in with a pastry cutter or your mixer's whisk/whip attachment, until the mixture is sandy. Add in the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, and beat on medium high for 1-2 minutes until the cake batter is smooth and stretchy.Spoon the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and smooth out the tops.
3. Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 22 to 25 minutes or so, until the tops are firm but springy. Ovens vary widely, so watch these babies and check with a cake tester if you need to.Cool in the pan only briefly, until the cupcakes are cool enough to handle. Then remove them from the baking pan and cool on a wire rack for one hour before frosting. Meanwhile, make your icing.
4. Pour the powdered sugar into a clean mixing bowl and add the cream cheese. Start beating to combine the cream cheese and sugar. Add pure maple syrup a tablespoon at a time, just until the frosting is soft and smooth. I only needed 2 tablespoons. Beat on medium-high for a minute or two until the frosting is glossy, fluffy and smooth. Cover and chill as the cupcakes cool.
5. Use a clean icing knife to frost the cupcakes. Chill in the fridge briefly to set the frosting. To store your extras: top each chilled/set cupcake with a square of parchment paper, then wrap, bag and freeze.Makes 12 cupcakes.
Notes:
To replace the eggs in cupcakes I have had excellent luck using Ener-G Egg Replacer; in this recipe, replace with 1/4 cup liquid equivalent.
If you prefer a buttery frosting, replace the vegan cream cheese with a good tasting vegan butter, such as Organic Earth Balance, or use organic coconut oil. Add vanilla or maple extract.
If you prefer a buttery frosting, replace the vegan cream cheese with a good tasting vegan butter, such as Organic Earth Balance, or use organic coconut oil. Add vanilla or maple extract.
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddessrecipes.com
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