These Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes are gluten free chocolate cupcakes that have a soft rich chocolate cake and are topped with a decadent chocolate fudge frosting! The recipe makes 4 cupcakes and takes less than an hour from start to finish! It's perfect for when you only need a few delicious treats! Best yet, these beauties are also, nut free, eggless and easily vegan!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 6 cup regular size cupcake pan with 4 cupcake liners. Fill the 2 empty wells with water. Set aside.
Measure out ¼ cup of milk of choice. Add in ¼ tablespoon of white vinegar and stir to combine. I don't have ¼ table measuring spoon so I fill up my ½ tablespoon halfway. Estimating is fine. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes and then stir again. It will appear chunky and that’s normal.
In a large bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powders, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt.
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add in the cornstarch water mixture, the homemade buttermilk, the warm water, vegetable oil and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and combined. The batter may appear very thin and liquidy. If so, let it sit 10 minutes; it will start to thicken.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill the 4 cupcake tins ¾ way to the top. Smooth the tops with a small knife. You should have 4 regular size cupcake tins filled.
Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back at you when carefully touched or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.Let the cupcakes cool almost completely in the pan before trying to remove them.
Make the Frosting
In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the butter or vegan baking stick until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
With the mixer on very low speed, slowly add in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powders and vanilla. Beat until combined.
While the mixer is on, slowly add in the water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. You may not need to use all the water.
Decorate the Cupcakes
If you have piping bags, pipe the chocolate frosting on top of each cooled cupcake.If you don’t have piping bags, put a thin layer of chocolate frosting on top of each cupcake.
If you frosted the cupcakes by hand, pop the cupcakes in the fridge for 15 minutes to let that thin layer harden. This is your crumb layer so that when you frost the tops of the cupcakes, the crumbs don't get all over the frosting.If you have a piping bag, you don’t need the crumb layer or this step.
Immediately after finishing frosting the cupcakes, add the sprinkles so they stick to the frosting.
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Notes
Vegan: Use a dairy free gluten free flour, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks, non dairy milk and vegan sprinkles.All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon packed AP flour (42 grams plus 2 tablespoons).Storing: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container or wrapped in foil at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for 30 days. If desired, warm each cupcake in the microwave for 5-10 seconds prior to eating. Be careful not to burn your mouth.Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.