Recipe based on our "Best Chocolate Cake", these gluten free cupakes are super chocolately and yummy! Plus, they are the easiest recipe ever! Top with your favorite buttercream frosting... chocolate, vanilla or strawnberry.
These are based on The Best Chocolate Cake, a recipe from my Aunt that is a fan favorite in our extended family.
The cake is an old-fashioned, made-from-scratch cake that is moist and chocolatey and sooooo good! And it’s really EASY!
In fact, in full transparency… it is the same recipe, but I cut it in half and adjusted the baking time. Why mess with a really good thing?!
So let’s make it!
It’s made with all the usual goods —
all purpose gluten-free flour (we use with GF Jules -affiliate link )
sugar
egg
Hershey cocoa (100% cacao unsweetened)
baking powder
baking soda
salt
canola oil
vanilla
coffee (we used a dark roast decaf)
buttermilk (we made some!) for extra flavor and moistness.
As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules. To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.
Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.
And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!
Back to the Chocolate Cupcakes….
It is the easiest recipe ever!
All you do it mix the dry ingredients together, add in the wet ingredients and that’s it!
Pour or spoon into lined muffin tins and bake!
So chocolatey and yummy!
And some in my house have been known to eat them as is…
But… the rest of us love frosting!
I give options for 3 different buttercream frostings:
chocolate (the most amazing chocolate frosting ecipe from my aunt!)
vanilla (the best recipe from my mom!) and
strawberry (based on the vanilla but made with strawberry puree).
One is better than the next, so can’t wait for you to try them all!
They are all made with a combination of:
confectioner’s sugar (also known as powdered sugar)
butter or dairy-free butter
vanilla
milk or dairy free milk
plus cocoa for the chocolate and strawberries for the strawberry.
Frost them and enjoy as is or top with sprinkles or decorate for a holiday.
For Easter, it would be super fun to top with jelly beans if you have any.
Which would you chose?
They taste every bit as good as they look!
Chocolatey, moist, soft and fluffy texture and yummy!
The easiest and yummiest gluten-free chocolate cupcakes! Based on our family's amazing chocolate cakes recipe, the cupcakes are moist, soft & fluffy and super chocolatey! Options for chocolate, vanilla or strawberry buttercream frosting.
Author: Healthy Gluten-Free Family
Recipe type: Dessert, Birthdays, Holidays, Cake and Cupcakes
½ cup + ⅓ cup all purpose flour (I use GFJules) (affiliate link)
⅓ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup strong black coffee (I used decaf)
½ cup buttermilk or sour milk (to sour milk: use 2 teaspoons white vinegar plus milk to equal ½ cup)
¼ cup canola oil
½ tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting (recipe halves well)
1 box confectioner sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ stick butter or dairy free butter, softened
4½ tablespoons milk or dairy free milk
Chocolate Frosting (recipe halves well)
6 Tablespoons butter or dairy free butter, softened
¾ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2⅔ cups powdered sugar
4 to 6 Tablespoons milk
Strawberry Frosting (recipe halves well)
1 box confectioner sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ stick butter or dairy free butter, softened
1-2 tablespoons milk* (For a deeper strawberry flavor, skip or use less milk and more strawberry puree)
3 tablespoons strawberry puree (I mashed strawberries, then strained out the juice with a strainer)
Instructions
Cupcakes
Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin tins with baking cup liners.
In large mixer bowl, blend sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add egg, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (batter will be thin).
Pour or spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 17 mins, then cover loosely with foil and bake another 5-10 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely. Frost as desired.
Vanilla Frosting
In a small mixing bowl, beat butter. Add remaining ingredients, and mix until combined and creamy. Makes 2 cups frosting.
Chocolate Frosting
In small mixer bowl, beat butter. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting
Strawberry frosting
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter. Add remaining ingredients* and mix until well combined and creamy. Makes 2 cups frosting.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
These cupcakes are unbelievably delicious. I’m wondering if recipe can be baked as a cake also? In an 8×8 pan perhaps? Thanks.
Yes! It is based on a cake! Here’s the link to The Best Chocolate Cake! We loooove this cake!
Thanks so much. Will make this for next family birthday.
Great! Hope you love it!