Gluten free baking can be tricky. Rice flour, starch, and other gluten free grains are often dry and bland. Adding fruits or vegetables to your recipes adds moisture, flavor, and improves the texture of gluten free baking. Not to mention the added nutritional value! The guilt factor is almost nil when I serve these to my kids. How can you go wrong with loads of carrots and whole grain gluten free flour?
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
makes about 10 cupcakes
1 1/4 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour*
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup + 1 TBS vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 2-3 medium)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine sugar, oil, shredded carrots, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and salt. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute more. Fill 10-11 sprayed or paper lined muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack before frosting.
Orange Buttercream:
1/2 cup butter~
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/8 tsp sweet orange oil
zest of one large orange
1-2 TBS milk or half-and-half~
2 cups powdered sugar
dash salt
paste food color if desired
Whip butter until fluffy. Add vanilla, orange oil, orange zest, milk, powdered sugar and salt. Whip again until fluffy and smooth. Frost cupcakes when cool to the touch. I used a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 2D tip. Decorate as desired.
~For dairy free frosting use 1/4 cup shortening and 1/4 dairy free margarine. I use Earth Balance. You may need to decrease milk slightly so frosting is not too soft and use rice or coconut milk in place of the dairy milk.
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