Super Bowl Gluten Free and Vegan Espresso Cupcakes

Edit: Check this out - these Super Bowl Cupcakes made it onto the

"Cupcakes Take The Cake" blog :) YEAH!!!

So, I had these football paper cup liners that my mom brought me last time she was here visiting from the states, and well, in Germany, there is only 1 day a year to use them :)  So, I made some cupcakes to take the the pub tonight for the game.  In Munich, kick-off is at 00:30 - just after midnight!  So, I decided to make the cupcakes espresso to keep us awake.  And what better way to top them but with some Amaretto Butter Cream.  I then decorated half of them as the yard markers and the other half - half Green Bay colors and half Pittsburgh colors!  

For the cupcakes:

adapted from Vegan CupcakesTake Over World Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

1 cup Soy Milk (I did use soy here, even though I've an allergy-I was out of rice milk & the cupcakes were for my friends, not me :)

Espresso Instant Powder - to equal 6 cups of espresso (I used individual packets, so used 6)

1/3 cup Mazola oil 

3/4 cup Moscovado Sugar

2 teaspoons GF Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

Mix above in stand mixer on speed 2 until well blended.  Then add

1/4 cup Tapioca Starch

2 tablespoons Flaxseed (ground/flour)

Mix for 1-2 minute on speed 2-3 or until it is thoroughly mixed.

Then sift together in a bowl the following ingredients

1/3 cup Dutch Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup White Rice Flour

1/2 cup Quinoa Flour

1/4 cup Millet or Sorghum flour (I find the books recipe to work MUCH better with some added flour, and a different type too)

1 teaspoon GF Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Add this sifted ingredient to the mixture.  This is where I differ from the book.  It states "don't worry about over-mixing..."  I strongly disagree with this.  The  LESS you mix, the better the gluten free cakes raise!!!  Over-mixing will ruin what ever is left in the mixture that allows it to raise. So, only mix for a minute or 2 on low speed (2) until well mixed!!!!

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 21 min.  Cool 10 min before removing from the pan and placing on wire rack to completely cool.

For the Frosting:

55 grams Crisco

55 grams Gluten and Milk Free Margarine

Mix these for about 30 seconds to a minute on speed 2 of your stand mixer

Then add

375 grams powdered sugar

Mix for 2 minutes or so (If it is too dry, add a bit of the Amaretto, but just a bit, you want to mix this well before adding the rest of the liquid).

Now add the rest of the liquid

1/8 cup Amaretto (more or less to get the consistency you want)

Mix in stand mixer for 5-7 minutes or so - this will make it nice and fluffy and light and will not taste so sweet :)

For the grass, I used Wilton tip 233 and Wilton Kelly Green gel coloring.  For the yellow, I used Wilton Golden Yellow.  I used green sugar glitter and black sugar glitter to top the yellow with to make the different team colors.

Have fun!

EDIT:

Here is a pic from my mobile. I dont have a flash, so it did not turn out too great, but you get the idea :)  They were a hit!