Gluten Free Very Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

For children with food intolernaces, birthdays and holidays can be espcially difficult, they want a treat or cupcake just like everyone else, and who can blame them?

For many years the very thought of a gluten-free or vegan cupcake was enough to cause sneers.  The idea was that they would be dry or gritty, taste like cardboard or worse.

In truth making mosit and delicious gluten free cupcakes are not as difficult as one would imagine.

For these very vanilla cupcakes vanilla is the star of this show and as such it is important to use the best vanilla you can find. I like vanilla bean paste; it has a more intense vanilla flavor than extract and is even specked with those gorgeous vanilla seeds. I find it in my upscale grocery store. If you can't find vanilla bean paste, the cupcakes will still be great but if you want them to be seriously spectacular – find the paste! The vanilla frosting will naturally have a lovely antique lace color specked with tiny flecks of brown seed. Normally I love the look but for these cupcakes we wanted white frosting so I added a few hefty squirts of white icing color to the frosting.

Another trick to mosit gluten-free vegan cupcakes is Vegenaise.  An egg free mayonaise substitute, Vegenaise conatins all the essential ingredients for delicious vegan baked goods.

Finally, to let the vanilla flavor shine use really good quality gluten-free flour. If your flour tastes like beans or something else, make your own by whisking together 1 cup superfine white rice flour, ½ cup potato starch, ¼ cup superfine sweet rice flour, ¼ tapioca starch and 1 ½ teaspoons of xanthan gum.

These cupcakes are a triple vanilla threat, moist vanilla cakes soaked with vanilla syrup and finally frosted with vanilla icing.

Gluten Free Very Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

Ingredients

Soaking liquid:

¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste

Cupcakes:

2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ cup Vegenaise
1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste

Frosting:

½ cup Earth Balance dairy free butter substitute
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste
Pinch of kosher or fine sea salt
Up to ¼ cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Insert paper liners into 12 standard muffin cups.

Prepare the soaking liquid by combining the ¼ cup sugar with the 3 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until the sugar has melted and continue to boil for 1 minute or until it thickens slightly. Let cool while preparing the cupcakes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, water, Vegenaise and 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste until fully combined and no lumps from the Vegenaise. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups (it will be fairly liquid). Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until firm to the touch, browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

Cut a cone the diameter of a dime out of the top of each cupcake and save the cut out parts. Spoon the soaking liquid into the center of each cupcake. Replace the cone back into the cupcakes when the soaking liquid has absorbed. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

Prepare the frosting while the cupcakes cool. In a mixing bowl, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the Earth Balance, powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste and salt. Mix, starting on low speed, to combine. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and then turn the mixer to medium and beat for about 60 seconds. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency – it should be thick, smooth and spreadable.

Frost the cooled cupcakes with the frosting and decorate as desired.

Make 12 cupcakes.