chocolate cupcakes

back to basic 
chocolate cupcakes 

With as complicated, fancy, and down right creative I get with baking sometimes its just nice to get back to basic. Especially when your niece, nephew and parents are coming over 
Back to basic chocolate cupcakes
3 1/3 c gluten free flour or all ours pose flour
3 tsp xanthan gum omit for non gluten free
2/3 c dark cocoa powder and 2/3 c regular cocoa powder there are dairy free versions of this that I found in our local markets organic section
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/3 c brown sugar and regular sugar
1 tsp slat
1 1/2 c almond or regular butter
3 c buttermilk now I make my own butter milk by using 3 c almond milk and adding viniger to it
2 tsp vanilla
5 eggs or egg replacer or even apple sauce if you need egg free
Mix your wet and add your dry
Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 mins
Frosting
1/2 c almond or regular butter
1/2 c crisco
5 c powdered sugar
1/4 c of almond milk or regular milk. What I found works really well is silk creamer as a dairy free option. Makes the frosting thicker

Water Mellon cupcakes

Ever have left over  watermelon from a summer picnic or fruit salad and just don't know what to do with it?

We recently had that same problem. The kids wanted cupcakes and I wanted to make a new kind instead of the same old ones they already love . So I began thinking watermelon cupcakes.

First we need to make a watermelon purée . I did 2 cups of cut up watermelon and a tsp of fresh lemon juice. I puréed it in the blender

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour ( all pour purpose  same ratio for non gluten free)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 cup butter we used almond butter for dairy free

1 cup sugar

1 tsp lemon zest

2/3 cup of your water Mellon purée 

Creme your butter and sugar and slowly add your dryly ingredients, purée and lemon zest

Bake at 350 for around 20 mins

We used a typical butter creme frosting 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup crisco

5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup of water Mellon purée 

Banana cupcakes

Banana cupcakes gluten free , dairy freeand orginal

1/2 cup shortening
For dairy we used almond butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
We used egg replacer but you also sub with apple sauce
1 cup mashed up ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
For glute free we used glute free flour and added a tsp of xantham gum
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
So dairy free butter milk is easy do 1/2 cup of soy milk and add a tsp of viniger let sit for 10 mins

First cream shotening (almond butter) and sugar till light and fluffy
Add eggs 1 at a time mixing well in between each egg
Add banans and vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add to mixture alternating with buttermilk beating well after each addition

Bake at 375 for 18 to 22 mins.

We used peanut butter frosting

So 1/2 cup of soft butter again for dairy free we used almond butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbs milk we used soy milk
2 cups powdered sugr

Combine butter and peanut butter. Gradually add powdered sugar add milk one tbs at a time to desired thickness.

Frost once cupcakes are cooled and enjoy!

These were really good and the kids loved them.