These gluten free chocolate cupcakes are ultra-light, fluffy, and moist! They boast a deep chocolatey flavor and rich chocolate buttercream.
The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
These gluten free chocolate cupcakes are to die for! They're SO light and pillowy, you'd never guess they were gluten-free.
Moist, light, ultra-chocolatey - they are ALL the things. My entire family agreed - these beauties are dangerously delicious.
I can't tell you how many times I've ordered a gluten-free cupcake at a bakery only to bite into a dense, stodgy disappointment. These cupcakes will restore your faith in gluten-free baking! Trust me!
Key Ingredients:
- Gluten-free flour: I specify which brand I used in the recipe. Why did I do this? Each brand contains a different mixture of alternative flours and starches. Each one reacts a little bit differently in recipes. For the best results, use the brand the recipe was created with!
- Dutch cocoa powder - I used Hershey's dark cocoa powder. You can find it right next to their natural cocoa. It's dark, rich, and less bitter.
- Buttermilk - Use store-bought buttermilk, not milk. It creates an ultra-soft and fluffy texture! Regular milk and homemade buttermilk don't have the right consistency.
- Unsalted butter - It should be softened. Leave it on the counter for at least 2 hours OR microwave it until it's soft. Don't melt it!
How to Make GF Chocolate Cupcakes:
These gluten free cupcakes are very simple! That being said, I don't use the typical creaming method.
I beat the softened butter with the dry ingredients, then I add the eggs and buttermilk. This creates a velvety smooth batter that looks like chocolate mousse.
That mousse-like batter bakes into the lightest, BEST gluten free cupcakes ever!
1. For the gluten free cupcakes:
- Combine dry ingredients: ALL the dry ingredients get mixed together. You can use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer and a large bowl.
- Add the softened butter: Add it one or two pieces at a time, beating after each addition. The mixture should look like sand when you're done.
- Add the eggs: After the first egg, it will be thick like cookie dough. After the second egg, it will lighten up a lot.
- Add the buttermilk: Once you beat in the buttermilk and vanilla, the batter will be light and fluffy like mousse. It won't be thin or liquified.
- Scoop and bake: Scoop the batter into a lined muffin tin. You should get 12 cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
2. For the chocolate buttercream:
- Make the ganache: In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of cream. Don't burn the mixture! The warm cream will melt the chocolate. Set it aside.
- Cream the butter: It should be softened so just beat it until it lightens up - about 30 seconds.
- Add powdered sugar: Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, the cocoa powder, and a tablespoon of cream. Beat for 1 more minute.
- Add ganache: Make sure the ganache is cool to the touch before you add it. Add another ½ cup of powdered sugar. Beat for another minute. The frosting should be light yet rich!
Expert Tips:
- Don't overbake the cupcakes. Mine took exactly 20 minutes. Check them a couple minutes early just to be sure.
- Don't frost warm cupcakes! Buttercream is made of butter and it will melt quickly. Wait until they're cool to the touch before you frost them.
Storage & Freezing Tips:
- Transfer the cooled, frosted cupcakes to an airtight container OR cover a plate of cupcakes with saran wrap. I double saran wrap them, so all the edges our covered.
- Cupcakes are freezer-friendly! Place them on a baking sheet and freeze. Once the cupcakes are frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag and label with the date. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen cupcakes on the counter OR in the microwave in 5-second increments, until the cupcake is thawed. Don't melt the frosting!!
Gluten Free Cake Recipes:
- Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Maple Frosting
- Gluten Free Chocolate Pound Cake
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
These gluten free chocolate cupcakes are ultra-light, fluffy, and moist! They boast a deep chocolatey flavor and rich chocolate buttercream.
Equipment
- cupcake tin
- Stand Mixer with the Paddle Attachment or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes:
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill's 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend*
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup Dutch cocoa powder I used Hershey's dark cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the chocolate buttercream:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder I used Hershey's dark
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the gluten-free flour, sugar, brown sugar, kosher salt, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on low speed to combine.
- Cut the softened butter into 8 pieces. Add each piece to the flour mixture and mix after each addition, until the mixture looks like sand.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. You should have a very thick batter at this point. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- On medium-low speed, add the buttermilk and vanilla, beating until well combined. The batter should be thick yet light, similar to the consistency of mousse.
- Use a portion scoop to divide the batter between the muffin liners. You should get 12 cupcakes.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Don't overbake!
- Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tin for at least 10 minutes before you transfer to a cooling rack.
For the chocolate buttercream:
- In a small bowl, combine the dark chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Melt in the microwave until the cream starts to bubble up but doesn't overflow, about 20 seconds. Stir until smooth, then set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter for 30 seconds.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, the cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon of cream to the mixer. Beat on medium speed for another minute.
- Once the chocolate mixture is cool, add it to the mixer with ½ cup of powdered sugar. Beat for another minute on medium speed.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use it to frost the cupcakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 3gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 2gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 584IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Mary Ellen says
My husband has celiac disease so all my baking has to be gluten free. Hands down this is the best gluten free dessert I have ever made! The texture is truly light and airy. I will make these again for his birthday next month.