A friend had shared a post on Facebook from the Stay at Home Chef for The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake it looked so good I simply had to convert it to gluten free. Essentially the cake is 3 tiers with a delicious chocolate cream cheese buttercream icing in between the layers & all over. Things went pear shaped when I accidentally added too much liquid to the icing. As a result the icing was too soft to go between the layers, it started oozing out & then the whole cake took on an ominous angle. I couldn't find any bamboo skewers to hold it into place so used 2 metal skewers that made the cake look like a poor excuse for a dalek. I looked at the clock & it was time for the school bus pick up. Arriving home my daughter looks at the cake, raises her eyebrows & asks if I'm going to take a photo of that. At that moment the cake starts to give way where the metal skewers are, I reach for a knife & the cake - the result is not good. Needless to say that there are no good photos of that particular 3 tiered chocolate cake. I salvaged the cake by taking off the layers & icing them again. Obviously I needed to work on the icing.
I had posted the recipe for a one tier cake on Facebook & was asked whether the recipe would work for cupcakes.
The answer -
Most deliciously!
This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
Dry ingredients
150 g Bakers' Magic gluten free flour
200 g Caster sugar
60 g Cocoa (I used rich dark cocoa)
1 tsp Bicarb of soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
3/4 tsp Salt
Wet ingredients
150 g Buttermilk
150 g Warm water
1 egg
110 g Oil (I use rice bran oil)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Buttermilk - I have made these with soured milk instead of buttermilk. Add 5 g of vinegar to 145 g of full cream milk.
Some Icing suggestions
Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
I like this one
125 g Cream cheese (softened)
125 g Butter (softened)
250 g Icing sugar
60 g Cocoa
Vanilla extract (optional)
Vanilla Icing
My daughter likes this one
125 g Cream cheese (softened)
125 g Butter (softened)
375 g Icing sugar
Vanilla bean paste to taste
Method
Cupcakes
Turn oven on to 170 C.
Line 2 muffin trays with 16 - 18 patty pans. If using smallish patty pans you may need 24.
Mix together the dry ingredients. I usually blitz them together using a food processor.
Whisk together the wet ingredients.
Combine wet & dry ingredients (by hand or briefly using a mixer). Use a scraper to get rid of any lumps.
Pour into the patty pans to just over half full.
Transfer to the oven & bake for 15 - 18 mins. The length of time will depend on the size of the cupcakes & your oven. Bring out of the oven & allow to cool before icing them.
Icing
Are you in a hurry? If so put the ingredients in a food processor & blend into the icing is smooth.
Do you want a thinner icing? Combine the cream cheese & icing sugar together. Melt the butter in the microwave & add to the cream cheese/icing. Combine until the icing is smooth.
Alternatively cream together the cream cheese & butter. Add in approximately 1/3 of the icing sugar. Mix until the sugar is incorporated. Repeat until all icing sugar is incorporated.
Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle. Top the cupcakes with as little or as much icing as you like.
Simply enjoy!