I do love a cupcake. Especially these ones. Use up some summer blackberries and put it in this buttercream. Light, airy, soft and moist (sorry to those who don’t like that word) but what more could you want?

Doing the piping on top is not necessarily an essential. But people do like a good swirl and piping can be easier than you think. As I’ve said, it’s not an essential but it does look nice.

Why the reverse creaming method?

In this recipe I like to use the reverse creaming method. Personally, I much prefer this method as my cakes come out a lot lighter with more of a rise which I’ve struggled to get in the past using the all-in-one or the standard creaming method.

So what is the reverse creaming method?

It was created by Rose Levy Beranbaum and it gives a more even and finer cake crumb texture whilst making it more tender. You work the butter into the dry ingredients instead of beating the sugar and butter together first (standard creaming method). You then add in the wet ingredients to form a batter. This way there will be little air getting trapped in the mixture.

This is PERFECT for beginners in my opinion because they’re more likely to turn out how you want and it’s more difficult to overbeat it causing a dense or non-risen cake.

Step by step instructions are below including a print button at the top of the page if you prefer a paper version. If you’d like to pin my recipe, the button is at the top as well.

Shopping List

You’ll need just a few ingredients to make these cupcakes, most of which you will probably already find in your cupboard.

• 375g butter (150g for cake, 225g for buttercream)
• 120g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 150g gluten free self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum – only add if your gluten free flour doesn’t already contain it
• 125g white chocolate chips
• 350g icing sugar
• 1 tsp boiling water – optional to help the ‘drag’ when piping
• 2 tsp vanilla paste (1 tsp for the cake mixture, 1 tsp for the buttercream)
• 12 blackberries to decorate – optional
• 1-2 tbsp seedless blackberry jam or blackberry purée – see shopping list below

For the blackberry puree:

• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 75g blackberries

For the flour I tend to use Doves Farm Freee self raising flour in their gluten free range. They do 2 different ranges, one is gluten free and one isn’t. So make sure you get the Freee range.

Yes I’m sure you’ve seen me ramble on about vanilla paste LOTS of times but this recipe doesn’t have it in the cake itself. However, you can put 1/2 teaspoon in if you wish.

Make sure your baking powder is gluten free as well. Most are but there are a few brands that put wheat in them so it’s always best to check.

I like to use Molly’s chocolate and chop it up for the chocolate chips. It’s cheap, tasty and gluten free of course!

Wondering what the boiling water is for?

If you add a teaspoon of boiling water to your buttercream before placing in your piping bag, it stops that annoying ‘drag’ you can sometimes get when piping. You don’t always need this though if your buttercream is loose enough.

Can this be made dairy free?

Yes this can of course be made dairy free. Here are my substitutions.

• Dairy free hard block butter such as Stork instead of regular butter. Make sure it’s softened for the recipe though!
• Use dairy free white chocolate
• If your using blackberry jam be sure to check it’s dairy free! I’m sure it will be but it’s always good to check before buying.

So here’s for the recipe!

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Gluten Free White chocolate and Blackberry Cupcakes

Sound good right? Want to make professional looking cupcakes but so it's easy and done at home? They're not only unique but gluten free of course. The rich white chocolatey-ness complimenting the tart blackberry flavours is delish and definitely has to go on your list of ‘to bake’.

Course Sweet treats

Keyword blackberry, white chocolate, cupcakes, piping, buttercream, delicious, unique, light, airy, gluten free, dairy free, professional, puree, piping

Servings 12 servings

Equipment

• 1 1M piping nozzle optional
• 1 piping bag optional
• 1 cupcake/muffin tin
• 12 cupcake cases (paper or foil) if using the stiffer baking cups, see note 1
• 1 wire rack

Ingredients

• 200 g softened butter
• 180 g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla paste/extract
• 200 g gluten free self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder – make sure it's gluten free
• 125 g white chocolate chips
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum only add if flour doesn't already contain it

FOR THE BLACKBERRY PUREE

• 75 g blackberries
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp caster sugar

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 225 g softened butter
• 350 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1-2 tbsp seedless blackberry jam or blackberry purée – use a little extra if needed
• 12 blackberries to decorate – optional

Instructions

FOR THE PUREE

• Weigh out 75g of blackberries, wash them add to a small saucepan on a low heat.
• Add in the lemon juice and sugar and continously stir so the sugar doesn't burn. Squash down the blackberries so they break down more easily. Do this step for about 5 minutes.
• Turn up to a boil and wait for the jam to thicken and so there is only a little liquid left in. Then turn off the heat.
• Wait to cool slightly and press the jam through a sieve or a fine mesh strainer over a bowl so the puree is now seedless. Set aside to cool fully.

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• Preheat your oven to 160C Fan/ 180C and prepare your muffin tin with 12 cases.
• Sieve together your gluten free flour, baking powder and xantham gum into a large bowl and add the caster sugar. Stir together.
• Cube your butter and mix into the bowl with the dry ingredients with the electric whisk until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. It's very messy but it'll be worth it!
• In a separate bowl, briefly whisk together your vanilla paste and eggs then add to the dry ingredients in 2 additions. Whisk thoroughly between each addition.
• Gently fold in your chocolate chips and until the mixture 'flops' over and it is all mixed together.
• Spoon your mixture equally into the cupcake cases using spoons or an ice cream scooper.
• Put straight into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. To check if they're baked, insert a skewer into the biggest cupcake and if it comes out clean its baked.
• Leave the cakes in the tin for 5 minutes before putting on a wire rack to completely cool.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• Make sure your butter is soft and at room temperature. Cube your butter and beat it until pale, light and smooth.
• Sieve your icing sugar little by little and mix inbetween each addition. I do this in 2-3 stages.
• Make sure it's the right thickness. If its too runny you won't get a nice swirl shape so add a little icing sugar. If it's too thick it will be difficult to pipe so add 2 tbsp milk or 1 tsp boiling water.

FOR THE PIPING

• Once the cupcakes are cool, you need to place the nozzle inside the piping bag with a snipped end.
• Place inside a pint glass with the 1M nozzle inside at the bottom and the edges folded over the glass. This makes it easier to spoon the buttercream in.
• Spoon the seedless blackberry jam/puree on the two seams of the piping back going upwards. Make the line about an inch wide.
• Spoon all of your buttercream into the bag being careful not to disturb the puree and twist the top of the piping bag.
• Use your top hand to squeeze the buttercream down NOT your bottom hand. Squeeze a small amount into the bowl. I just find this helps to get the buttercream going and excess puree out.
• Hold the bag vertically above the cupcake, starting from the edge swirl round into the middle making sure to cover all the cupcake. You can do a flick on top. Ta-da!
• Add a blackberry to decorate them if you wish. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1 – If using baking cups, put them on a baking tray instead of a muffin tin.

Spoon 2 scoopfuls into 1 cup so they are about 3/4 full. This will make 6-7 cupcakes.

Being very careful, place the cupcakes in the oven and bake.

 

So thank you for reading my post! Feel free to rate and share my recipe it means a lot. And I’ve love to see your comments and pictures!

Enjoy this recipe?

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• Gluten free White Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes

• Easy Gluten free Vanilla Cupcakes

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The post Gluten free White chocolate and Blackberry Cupcakes appeared first on Welcome to Rockhoppers Kitchen!.

So what’s the secret to the ultimate vanilla cupcakes? Vanilla paste of course! When you bite into these beauties and taste the flavours of the potent vanilla bean coming through you’ll never go back!

Also just a tip! I never used to be able to make cupcakes, they would never rise! After god knows how many years of wondering why they’re not turning out even though all my ingredients are at room temperature etc, I invested in an oven thermometer. Well was my oven wrong or what?! I would definitely recommend getting one if you haven’t already. It’s scary how many people’s ovens are off whether they’re old or not. Mine was brand spanking new in fact!

Anyway, enough about oven talk. Here is the shopping list you will need for this recipe.

Shopping List:

• 200g gluten free self raising flour – I use Doves Farm Freee flour.
• 425g butter – (200g for the cake, 225g for the buttercream)
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla paste (1 tsp for the cake, 1 tsp for the buttercream)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder – ensure it’s gluten free
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum – only add if your gluten free flour doesn’t already contain it
• 350g icing sugar
• 3-4 tbsp milk – if needed

So as said above I use Doves Farm Freee self raising flour, always have done and always will. It’s always reliable in my opinion but feel free to use whatever gluten free self raising you like.

Make sure you’re baking powder is gluten free too! Most are but it’s always best to check the label before buying, some do contain wheat unfortunately.

I do love using vanilla paste because of the amazing vanilla flavour you get with it. So deliciously potent! But feel free to use extract if that’s what you have.

Can these be made dairy free?

Yes they can indeed be made dairy free! You just need to do a few food substitutions. Below is the list I would use.

• Dairy free hard block butter such as Stork instead of regular butter – softened!
• Dairy free milk such as gluten free oat, tigernut (this isn’t a nut), seed or nut milks. This is if you need to add some milk to loosen the cake batter or buttercream

I’d love for you to rate my recipe and to see any pictures of any cakes being made in the comments section.

So here it is! My delicious gluten free vanilla cupcake recipe.

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Gluten free Vanilla Cupcakes

These light and fluffy cupcakes are simple, quick and easy. And no baking powder or xantham gum necessary! Dollop or swirl on your favourite buttercream to give the perfect friend to your cakes.

Course Sweet treats

Keyword baking, buttercream, cakes, cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, dairy free, gluten free, icing sugar, piping, sweet dream, vanilla

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Equipment

• 1 cupcake tin
• 1 ice cream scoop optional
• 1 wire rack
• 1 electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• 1 star nozzle (2D) and piping bags optional

Ingredients

• 200 g gluten free self-raising flour
• 200 g softened butter
• 150 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum only add if flour doesn't already contain it
• 2 tbsp milk optional

BUTTERCREAM

• 225 softened butter
• 350 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1-2 tsp boiling water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 160° Fan. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and set aside.
• Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together using an electric hand mixer until pale, light and fluffy.
• Crack eggs into a jug, pour in 1 egg yolk and thoroughly mix in. Repeat this with the remaining eggs and the teaspoon of vanilla paste.
• Gradually add in the sieved flour bit by bit gently folding in between each addition.
• Add a few tbsp of milk if needed to loosen mixture.
• Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, evenly divide the batter between the cases and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean).
• Leave to cool for a 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Buttercream

• When the cupcakes are completely cool, whisk the butter together using an electric hand mixer before adding in the vanilla paste.
• Sieve your icing sugar a little by little and mix inbetween each addition. I do this in 2-3 stages.
• Whisk once again until pale, light and fluffy.
• Make sure it's the right thickness. If its too runny you won't get a nice swirl shape so add a little icing sugar. If it's too thick it will be difficult to pipe so add a tsp of boiling water or milk.
• If you're going to pipe place a snipped piping bag with the nozzle inside so its poking through into a pint glass with the nozzle at the bottom and the edges folded over the glass.
• Spoon the buttercream into the bag and push down the bag and twist.
• Use your top hand to squeeze the buttercream down NOT your bottom hand.
• In a spiral, keeping the bag vertical not diagonal, squeeze from the centre and go round until it reaches the edges.
• It may take a few goes but you'll get the hang of it! Enjoy!

So let me know if you’ve made them and I’d love to know what you think in the comments section below with any pictures! And feel free to rate and share this recipe!

You might also like

• Gluten free White Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes

• Gluten free White chocolate and Blackberry Cupcakes

• Gluten free Victoria sponge

The post Easy Gluten free Vanilla Cupcakes appeared first on Welcome to Rockhoppers Kitchen!.