Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Vanilla Frosting

All my cake recipes are adapted from this wonderfully versatile recipe which was given to me at a tupperware party about 2 or 3 years ago and it was love at first bite (excuse the cliche). It can be put into a cake tin for a moist, dense cake or spread out in a brownie pan for a thinner chewy brownie and put into cupcake cases for cupcakes with smooth tops that are easy to decorate.
This was the first recipe I made when I found out that I needed to be gluten free. It was a comfort to know that a thing that I have been making pretty regularly for a long time was already pretty much gluten free anyway. It's good on good days and bad, it's tasty hot or cold, naked or frosted, it handles being a little over cooked and a little under.
This recipe has become the basis from which I have form loads of recipes. Newly gluten free taste buds are more sensitive to the tastes and after tastes of certain flour blends, this recipe is where I found that nut flours tend to be the more mild tasting of the gluten free flours and fit best with a recently gluten filled palette.
It's a forgiving, quick one pot recipe that I have thrown together at the last second so many times I've lost count and it's always a hit at work or with friends or family.
The ingredients can be a little bit expensive but I find buying in bulk outside of the supermarket is the best way to cut down on the costs. Whatever you do though, don't skimp on the chocolate seeing as it forms the main flavour base of this recipe. I use Whittakers 50% or 70% Dark chocolate, mostly because it not only tastes really good but it comes in 250g blocks which means it leaves 50g to nibble at while they cook and the house is filling up with delicious smells

(adapted from a tupperware recipe)

200 g good quality dark chocolate

200 g dairy free margarine

200 g brown sugar

200 g almond meal or LSA

4 eggs

1/4 c rice or buckwheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 c choc chips/nuts/dried berries (optional)

        For the frosting

3 tbsp coconut cream

2 tbsp dairy free margarine

2 tbsp vanilla essence

3-4 cups icing sugar depending on consistency required

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners

Preheat the oven to 180 C and set a large saucepan on the stove

 

 Melt together the margarine and chocolate in a large pot over a low heat

 Stir in sugar, flour, almond meal and baking powder

 Sir in eggs one at a time

Fill muffin liners roughly 3/4 full. I use a quarter cup measure as it make the cup cakes all close to the same size, a large ice cream scoop also works well.

While the cupcakes are cooking, prepare the frosting.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the margarine and coconut cream until smooth
Add vanilla
Gradually add icing sugar, approximately a 1/2 cup at a time
Whip on medium speed until creamy
Add food coloring if desired
Cover with cling film until needed
Leftover frosting will keep in the fridge for around 3-5 days

Remove the cupcakes from the oven when the tops spring back when slightly pressed in the center

Prepare a piping bag fitted with a large closed star shaped tip such as a wilton 2D

To make filling the bag easier, fold it over a tall cup. Fill it no more than 2/3 full to allow for twisting the end.
Pipe a swirling pattern on the top of the cupcake, if you start from the center and move outward you will get a rose, if you start from the outside and move inward you will get a more traditional swirl.

Just a recap for easy copying and pasting 

• 200 g good quality dark chocolate
• 200 g dairy free margarine
• 200 g brown sugar
• 200 g almond meal or LSA
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 c rice or buckwheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 c choc chips/nuts/dried berries (optional)

•         For the frosting
• 3 tbsp coconut cream
• 2 tbsp dairy free margarine
• 2 tbsp vanilla essence
• 3-4 cups icing sugar depending on consistency required

1. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C and set a large saucepan on the stove
3. Melt together the margarine and chocolate in a large pot over a low heat
4. Stir in sugar, flour, almond meal and baking powder
5. Mix in the eggs one at a time
6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven when the tops spring back when slightly pressed in the center 
7. While the cupcakes are cooking, prepare the frosting.
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the margarine and coconut cream until smooth
9. Add vanilla
10. Gradually add icing sugar, approximately a 1/2 cup at a time
11. Whip on medium speed until creamy
12. Add food coloring if desired
13. Cover with cling film until needed
14. Leftover frosting will keep in the fridge for around 3-5 days
15. To make filling the bag easier, fold it over a tall cup. Fill it no more than 2/3 full to allow for twisting the end.
16. Pipe a swirling pattern on the top of the cupcake, if you start from the center and move outward you will get a rose, if you start from the outside and move inward you will get a more traditional swirl.