The recipe that started it all. After five thousand or so failed attempts to produce a vegan, gluten-free cupcake in my slanted, 6‑foot-by-5‑inch kitchen in Brooklyn—with an oven that flared to broil at whim and had long since lost its temperature dial—I had to tape a picture of a cupcake on the fridge to remember what a cupcake should look like. When I finally hit the right formula, though, I knew it immediately. The cake was delicate and golden, tasting subtly of vanilla with a faint hint of lemon. Now, when I see rows of these beauties on the speed rack at the bakery awaiting frosting, it's hard not to slip into nostalgic reverie.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce, vanilla, and lemon zest to the dry ingredients and combine. Stir in the hot water and mix until the batter is smooth.
Step 3
Pour 1/3 cup batter into each prepared cup, almost filling it. Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for 22 minutes, rotating the tins 180 degrees after 15 minutes. The finished cupcakes will be golden brown and will bounce back when pressure is applied gently to the center.
Step 4
Let the cupcakes stand in the tins for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Using a frosting knife, gently spread 1 tablespoon vanilla frosting over each cupcake. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Reviews (7)
Back to Topi tried this last week...although it is not beautiful like pic, but good taste... i need to practice more time^^
Zoe Zheng
China
8/8/2018
Correction on cutting the vanilla extract in half for 12 cupcakes instead of 24. It is 1 Tablespoon PLUS 1 1/2 teaspoons.
EarthMamaEarthChild
12/15/2013
Part 2/2 As for the texture, you have to bake these a little bit longer than suggested in the recipe or at least I did - about an extra 2 mins and you have to cool them exactly as she says. 20 mins in the pan and then removed for the remainder. I am a baker myself, and this is the closest to a wheat cupcake in texture I have seen or tasted. I opt to frost these with a traditional frosting that is made vegan by using a dairy substitute and organic shortening rather than the frosting she uses simply because the kids I serve this to are more inclined to it. I do not put the coconut oil in them but instead bake them with grapeseed oil. As for the children who would not eat these in one of the reviews, the most probable cause is sugar. While agave is a sub for those who can not have sugar or want to limit it, it does lend its own distinct taste to the cupcakes. If you, your guests or your child still eat sugar, you may consider subbing in sugar for the agave. In this recipe you would use 2cups sugar and an extra 1/2 cup water. I omitted the lemon zest (since I have found the people in my circle to prefer a straight vanilla taste without the lemon essence) and the hot water should only just began to steam, not boil. That will reduce the need for a heavy duty mixer. I use an old hand held electric mixer and it worked fine. Don't skimp on the vanilla. It should be real vanilla, good quality. Finally, I have successfully halved this recipe which works much better for most home use. Everything can be halved straightforwardly with the exception of the sugar sub (to halve, use only 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water), the oil (use 1/3 cup), the applesauce (use 1/4 cup 2 Tablespoons), and the vanilla (use 1 1/2 teaspoons). Good luck and enjoy!
EarthMamaEarthChild
Boston, MA
12/15/2013
Part 1/2 These cupcakes are really good, gluten free or otherwise. In fact, everyone I have served them to can not believe they are gluten free. I do believe the other reviewers have some valid points but there are solutions to make these even more like a traditional cupcake. This recipe came from a world famous bakery. The owner could have kept these recipes as a trade secret but is instead sharing them with the world. Kudos to her! On to the reviews. Yes, if you have to buy all these ingredients at once, it is expensive but once you have the ingredients, you can use it for so much more! I skipped the Garbanzo-Fava Bean Flour and used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF flour.
EarthMamaEarthChild
Boston, MA
12/15/2013
I made these largely out of curiosity. I had to go to 3 grocery stores to get all the ingredients & the tab came to around $50. The cupcakes aren't bad; I am sure that they would be a nice treat for those on restricted diets. Their flavor is good, but the texture is a bit more gummy than that of cupcakes made with wheat flour. The icing really needs food coloring - it's an unappetizing tan without it. Also, it has a strong coconut flavor & many would interpret it as coconut icing. I would make these again, but only for someone on a gluten-free diet.
Chouchou
Devon, PA
4/22/2011
Shopping for these ingredients took almost as much time as cooking the cupcakes. If you don't already have some of these items lying around then you may want to price it out before committing to making them. As for taste, I was impressed with them, considering they were vegan. However, I made these for two little boys with dairy and egg allergies. They ate half of them and then said "meh." My own kids won't eat them, either, so now I have some very expensive cupcakes in the freezer.... Bottom line, these are probably great for vegan friends or people on a very restricted diet, but not for kids that are used to regular candies and cakes.
Anonymous
Chicago
4/21/2011
This is an amazing recipe! Which is good, because it is insanely expensive to make compared to a normal cupcake recipe. Only make it for someone you really like. I agree that you should not attempt it without a stand mixer. Cupcakes are definitely best on the day they are made, but the frosting needs to sit a long time in the fridge to get to proper consistency. Make it the day before.
Iwanttogotothere
Vancouver, BC
5/31/2010
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