If you’re looking for a slightly healthier treat, get ready for these Gluten Free Lower Fat Chocolaty Chocolate Cupcakes. They’re sure to rock your world…and your party!
Well it’s good to be back! After helping my parents move into a new house without internet, it’s finally up and running and I’m feeling connected to the world again. You know I’ve been baking up a storm regardless of whether I’ve been posting or not.
First of all, I seriously need a laptop. Especially if I’m going to really get serious with this blogging business. It’s too hard to be confined to a stationary computer while trying to edit, post, and research recipes. It would be so helpful to be mobile with a computer.
I’ve been loving the pool in my parents’ backyard. If my children hadn’t already mutated into fish living in Hawaii, they sure would have here. They are wanting to swim in that pool everyday. And me, being the good parent that I am, have to sit out there and watch them while they swim, not doing anything productive…like blogging. Haha, you like that “good parent” plug??? Sometimes I like to just give myself credit for things that are obviously part of my mothering job. Like, “Yay, I sent my kid to school today!” But really, would it hurt to get a tap on the back for those every day tasks here and there???
Okay, I’m just now realizing watching your kids swimming may not have been the best example to poke fun at. Kids with amazing and wonderful parents experience the heart ache of drowning far too often. It breaks my heart. In fact, I’ve been totally stressed out visiting my parents’ house knowing there is a pool in the backyard. I feel like no matter how well I watch my kids, anything could happen in a moment of distraction.
So for anyone out there that has dealt with this tragedy on a personal note or know somebody that has, my heart goes out to you. And those who have been lucky enough to have avoided this situation, watch your children closely!
Phew, back to the happy now…
We stumbled upon a quite joyous celebration a few days ago: Braelyn’s half birthday!
If any of you know me well, you know that I am not the superwoman kind of mother that celebrates half birthdays for my children. Planning one birthday party a year for each child is stress enough, and I don’t even go all out on those. However, this year Braelyn received a little extra attention.
She just so happened to ask me one morning what the date was. After I replied, “June 28th”, we both paused for a moment and simultaneously announced, “Your (my) HALF BIRTHDAY!!!”
Braelyn had been counting down to the day she was going to turn 7 1/2 for the past few months even though I repeatedly told her that we weren’t throwing a party and she wasn’t getting any presents. But before we even knew what day it was, we had already invited friends over to swim that night and I was already planning on making a treat. So I thought, what the heck…might as well make some cupcakes and call it a party!
You should have seen the look on Braelyn’s face. You would have thought she won the lottery. Not a lottery for money, but a lottery for all the sweets in the entire world because that seems to be what matters most in Braelyn’s life: TREATS. I swear, even though their sugar intake is totally limited, this kid thrives off treats of any kind.
So away I went to baking. Of course since the cupcakes were for Braelyn, they had to be chocolate. As I was gathering the ingredients, I quickly realized we only had 1 egg. How was I to break her little heart??? I couldn’t tell her I was no longer making cupcakes.
Then I remembered the jar of homemade applesauce in the fridge. Bingo! I’ve heard you can sub applesauce for eggs or oil in certain recipes. Might as well give it a try. Plus, I figured it could make the cupcakes slightly healthier (imagine me laughing right now) since I was cutting down on the butter and eggs. Oh, and I ran out of powdered sugar as well, so the frosting wasn’t quite as sweet which I actually loved. It had a rich, dark chocolate taste and a super creamy texture which I totally fell head over heels with. I’ll be making my frosting like this from now on.
Well, you bet I prayed when I shoved these cupcakes in the oven to bake. Pleeeeeease bake!!!! And guess what??? They did! The most beautiful Gluten Free Lower Fat Chocolaty Chocolate Cupcakes were born from a happy accident…much the same as Braelyn 7 1/2 years ago. Haha.
But really, these cupcakes were quite delicious. I’m talking light and airy, super moist, a perfect rise, and best of all…intensely chocolaty. What more could you ask for???
After letting these cupcakes completely cool, I whipped up that amazing frosting and slathered it on top. Again, this frosting is phenomenal. I love adding sour cream to my chocolate frosting. It gives a richness and tang that you can’t achieve in regular chocolate frosting. Plus, I added a splash of almond extract (which I also added to the cake batter) to give another element of flavor. It was heavenly.
Now, over the past 3 days, I’ve served these cupcakes to Braelyn, multiple friends, my immediate family, and my cousins and they have all given rave reviews. In fact Braelyn just ate the last one out of the fridge today and I’m feeling a little jealous because I would love a bite of chocolate cupcake with a scoop of ice cream right about now. Maybe that feeling means it’s time to make another batch. What do you think?
The flavor of these cupcakes was so spot on, I’m tempted to make them using all applesauce and no eggs to see if I can cut down on the ingredient list. Perhaps that will be tomorrow’s experiment. I will return and report once I’ve conquered this task. In the meantime, enjoy the recipe as is and praise the 1 little egg that gets to make all your chocolaty dreams come true.
Have you ever made cupcakes without any eggs?
- For the cupcakes:
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum*
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup white rice flour*
- ¾ cup brown rice flour*
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch*
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch*
- ½ cup chocolate chips, melted
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- ¾ cup water
- For the frosting:
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 2¾ cups powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- splash of almond extract
- dash of salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffins tins with paper liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until smooth. Add applesauce, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until smooth.
- In a separate smaller mixing bowl, sift together salt, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and cornstarch. Add half of dry ingredients into applesauce mixture and mix until smooth.
- Add milk and sour cream into batter and mix until smooth. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix on low until well incorporated. Add water and mix on low until smooth.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips on high for 40 seconds. Remove and stir until melted and creamy. Pour into batter and fold with spatula until fully incorporated. Mix on low for an additional minute, scraping down sides as needed.
- Fill cupcake liners ⅔ way full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until tops are crackled and bounce back at the touch of a finger and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean with few moist crumbs.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in tins on a cooling rack for 5 mins. Remove from tins and continue cooling on racks until completely cooled.
- While cupcakes are cooling, begin making frosting. In a large bowl, cream together butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Add milk, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until smooth. Add additional ¾ cup of powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt and mix until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Add additional powdered sugar or milk to achieve desired consistency.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in fridge for up to 1 week, or in freezer for up to 3 months.
Seems very much healthy.. Gluten free and has low fats!!! so i need to try this as soon as possible.
Thank you!!! They are delicious and fun to celebrate with. 😉