You can ask anyone at the office…I am a cupcake addict! The smile that comes to my face when Erin will occasionally bring us cupcakes from a local bakery is enormous! On our visit to San Francisco for the Winter Fancy Food Show in January  I was determined to find a cupcake shop. As silly as it sounds, I love to explore different bakeries while in another state. After about an hour of walking and searching, I found Kara’s Cupcakes. I can’t even being to tell you how happy finding this shop made me! There was a plethora of cupcakes to choose from, but I finally made up my mind. I ended up going with a gluten-free chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. Oh my..what could get better than this?! The first bite was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t even tell that it was gluten-free.

Since I was completely obsessed with this cupcake after I tried it, I thought it would be fun to adapt a recipe and make my own. However, instead of using butter, I used coconut oil as a replacement in a 1:1 ratio. I absolutely love the way cupcakes come out when using coconut oil. The consistency is much more moist and fluffy, exactly the way I like my cupcakes. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting has always been a favorite of mine, but feel free to replace the chocolate frosting for one you like the most! The recipe I used was originally for a cake, however placing the batter into cupcake liners will do the trick. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need:

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup rice flour

1 cup cocoa, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

3/4 cup Kelapo Coconut Oil, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

 Frosting

5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 tablespoons whipping cream

 Directions

 Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

3. Sift the three flours together. Add cocoa, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda to the flours and whisk together in a medium bowl.

4. Place coconut oil in a separate bowl and slowly add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar; whip until fluffy.

5. Add the eggs and the egg yolks one at a time to the bowl with the coconut oil and sugar. Next, add the vanilla.

6. Slowly add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating between the two. Mix until completely combined.

7. Pour the finished batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 30 to 35 minutes; until the cake is springy to the touch.

8. Place cupcakes on a cooling rack and let sit for about 15 minutes before frosting.

 Frosting

1. Melt chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Let the chocolate cool until slightly warm.

2. Stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Add whipping cream to desired consistency and mix until completely combined.

3. Let the frosting cool down in order for it to thicken. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

4. Serve and enjoy!

 If you’re craving a unique cupcake, try our recipe for a s’mores cupcake, vegan vanilla cupcake, or salted carmel cupcakes. They all sound so yummy to me! I still have seven more weeks of dieting to go before I’ll be able to enjoy a cupcake, but a girl can only dream!

What’s your favorite cupcake to make?

-Kayla