These Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting are everything you’d imagine. They’re gluten free, nut free, egg free and easily dairy free (vegan). A delicious dessert that’s simple to make and looks like it came right from a bakery.
For the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Measure out 1 cup of milk of choice in a large measuring cup and add in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Mix with a spoon and let sit for 5-10 minutes. This is your vegan buttermilk.
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until it is thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first. Set aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat together the butter or vegan baking stick and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. About 1-2 minutes. Add the cornstarch water mixture in two parts. Pour about half in and beat till combined then pour in the second half and beat until combined.
Using a spoon, stir your vegan buttermilk. It will appear chunky and this is what we want. In the same measuring cup, add in the other ⅓ cup of milk, the teaspoon of white vinegar, the red food coloring and the vanilla. Use a little whisk to combine everything.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry and wet ingredients in 3 sections, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until fully combined. Use a spatula after to make sure it is completely mixed.
Using an ice cream scoop, drop a scoop of batter into each muffin cup, it should fill almost to the top.
Use the back of a small spoon or a tiny appetizer knife to smooth the tops of the raw cupcakes. As I always say, gluten free flour has a way of baking exactly as you place it so if it lumpy and misshapen, that’s how your cupcake tops will come out.
Pop in the oven in the center rack and bake for 30 minutes. I ended up doing this twice because this recipe made 19 cupcakes for me.
While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting.
For the frosting: Combine the confectioners’ sugar, the butter or vegan baking stick, 1 tablespoon of water, the vanilla and a pinch of salt in a bowl using a spatula. If the frosting appears too thick, add in more water a teaspoon at a time. If it appears too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. It can always be fixed.
Depending on how much frosting you like on your cupcakes, you may want to double the frosting recipe.
Once the cupcakes are out of the oven and have cooled completely, take one cooled cupcake and rip it apart with your hands or roughly chop into tiny crumbs. I feel it works best when you rip. Place the crumbs on a flat plate.
Frost one of the cupcakes. Once it is frosted, immediately sprinkle the red velvet crumbs onto the frosting. Repeat this with all the cupcakes. Serve and enjoy!!!