Gluten and cow's Milk Free Raspberry filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Gluten & Cow's Milk Free Raspberry filled Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

Dry Ingredients:
30 grams Quinoa Flour
60 grams Millet or Sorghum Flour
60 grams Amaranth Flour
30 grams Rice Flour

20 grams Tapioca Flour
2 teaspoons GF Baking Powder

100 grams Dutch Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

225 grams Muscovado Sugar

Wet Ingredients:
60 grams Milk Free Margarine softened

3 eggs
2 teaspoons GF Pure Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup Goat’s Buttermilk (I buy this at Basic)**

**  When mixing wet ingredients - depending on the flour mixture you use and the size of the eggs - you may need between 1/2 - 1 cup of the buttermilk.  I start out with 1/2 cup and add 1/4 cup at a time depending on the consistency of the batter at the end.

Sift all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

**Mix all the wet ingredients in a stand mixer (or in a bowl with a hand mixer) until well blended.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer while on low (2) speed.  Once all ingredients are combined, mix on speed 3-4 for a minute or two until well mixed.  Do not over mix!

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake at 180°C 22-23 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool

Let cupcakes cool completely!!

Next step is to add the raspberry filling

Fill a piping bag with your favorite raspberry jam or filling.  Using a filling tip (these are the long thin tubes - something like this one - can be plastic or metal).  Once cupcakes are completely cooled - just insert the tip into the middle of the cupcake and squeeze some jam inside.  Be carefull not to fill it too much, or the cupcake can explode ;-)    Many people recommend using an apple corer to remove a bit of the center, but I prefer not to use this method.  As long as you have the longer tip and watch how much you are squeezing in, they turn out better (as you still have all the cake part too)

Next - frost your cupcakes

You can do this however you choose.  I used my standard buttercream frosting.  I mixed half with cocoa powder and half with pink coloring and then topped with a raspberry.

Gluten and cow's Milk Free Margarita Cupcakes

I saw this post from Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook and knew these would be my next cupcakes to make.  They turned out so yummy!!!

Below is the adapted recipe to make them gluten free and cow's milk free.

Margarita Cupcakes - 12 

For the Cupcakes:
75 grams Millet Flour
50 grams Amaranth Flour
50 grams Rice Flour
25 grams Quinoa Flour
25 grams Tapioca Flour
1½ teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
113 grams Margarine
190 grams Castor Sugar
2 Eggs
Zest and Juice of 1½ Limes (the juice of the other ½ will be used in the frosting)
2 tablespoons Tequila
¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ cup Goat’s Buttermilk

To Brush the Cupcakes:
1 to 2 tablespoons Tequila

For the Tequila-Lime Frosting:
113 grams Margarine
113 grams Butter Crisco
500 grams Powdered Sugar
1 tablespoon Lime Juice
2 tablespoons Tequila
Pinch of coarse Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt.

3. In a stand mixer on medium-high speed, beat the margarine and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and tequila. Mix until combined. (The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don’t worry, it will all come back together, power on!)

6. Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.

7. Fill cupcakes liners ¾ full. Bake for approximately 23-25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a toothpick shows only moist crumbs attached.

8. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

9. To make the frosting, whip the margarine and crisco on medium-high speed in your stand mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, tequila and salt mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes and garnish, if desired, with lime zest, an additional sprinkling of salt and a lime wedge.