Celebrate the day of love…or any other day for that matter…with these sensationally sweet and tasty Gluten Free White Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream. And plus, sprinkles make every kid happy.
Is anyone out there planning their Love Day yet???
I don’t have any plans. We never have any plans. We are that lame couple that pretends Valentine’s Day is just any other ordinary day. I’m petty sure that Ben probably gets me flowers or a card or something like that every year, but we never go all out for the holiday.
Actually, speaking of cards, I bought Ben a Valentine’s Day card a few years ago. Something along the lines of being a good hubby. Which, let’s stop right there for a moment. Why is it so dang hard to find cards that aren’t all mushy gushy???! I mean, I love my husband and all, but I don’t want Hallmark professing my love to him in words and phrases that would never make their way out of my mouth.
The day I find a card that says, “Babe, you are the best and I appreciate everything you do. I love you forever!” is the day hell freezer over. Until then I have to settle with the blank note cards that you fill in yourself or the sappy cards that say, “From the depths of the crystal clear sea to the sparkle in your gentle gazing eyes, no wave can wash away our love, no mountain too high. Oh how the angels were present the day God sent me to you, and our hearts swept away…” Bleh. Ick!
Anyway, I bought Ben a card a few years ago, and I forgot to give it to him on Valentine’s Day. So, I waited until the next year. Then I forgot again. So I held onto it for the following year…and I forgot. Yeah, I’ve had the same card sitting in our note card bin for a good four years now. Problem is, after being in the humidity of Hawaii for over a year, the envelope has now sealed itself to the card and thus the card must finally die in the trash can without ever having been given to the man in my life. Sorry babe. You’re still loved.
I may not be great at picking out cards or eloquently stating my love for Ben on a predetermined day each year, but I’ll tell you one thing; I sure do know how to bake for my man! And if it was up to Ben, he’d take good old home cookin’ over a cheesy paper gesture anyway. So there, all you tacky love professing poems creepily hiding inside those deceivingly picturesque Valentine’s cards. I’ll take you on any day.
My latest and greatest batch of baked goods were in the form of these festive lovey dovey Gluten Free White Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream. They say all that needs to be said. They’re baked in heart paper liners and there’s even a Hugs candy stuck on top. Hearts and hugs, that’s my kind of Valentine.
These white chocolate cupcakes are so full of vanilla flavor from the addition of pure vanilla extract to the vanilla flavoring of the white chocolate chips. It’s vanilla overload in a crazy good way.
The cake is delicate and sweet and has the perfect crumb texture. They’re not too dry, yet not too dense and heavy. They are sturdy enough to hold up to the white chocolate buttercream, but melt in your mouth with their tender chew.
These cupcakes are perfectly moist thanks to a mixture of milk and full fat sour cream. You can definitely try light sour cream or skim milk, but the cake may turn out a little more dry. I would suggest at least 1% milk and full fat sour cream to achieve the best texture.
As if a deliciously sweet white chocolate cake in and of itself wasn’t good enough, I topped these babies with a smooth white chocolate buttercream. It’s a basic buttercream with a bit of melted white chocolate folded in at the end. The white chocolate adds more flavor as well as a smooth texture to the frosting. Just make sure your melted chocolate isn’t too warm when folding it in, or you will cause your buttercream to melt. Give it a minute or two out of the microwave before mixing.
If I was feeling a little more ambitious, I would fill these cupcakes with a gorgeous raspberry filling for an extra pop of color and some tartness to balance out the sweetness of the cupcake. But, raspberry filling will have to wait for another day. I’m still digging on these plain and simple flavors of vanilla and white chocolate. It’s a classic combo for a reason.
So whether you send a card, flowers, jewelry, or a simple “I love you!” to your main squeeze, just know that a cupcake can go a long, long way in Love Land.
What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
- For the cupcakes:
- 1½ sticks salted butter, room temperature (12 tablespoons)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups high quality gluten free all purpose flour or my preferred blend of: ½ cup millet flour, ½ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup white rice flour, ½ cup potato starch, and 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (if your flour blend doesn't already contain a gum)
- 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup milk (I used 1%), room temperature
- ½ cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup white chocolate chips or vanilla candy melts, melted
- For the frosting:
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk (I used 1%)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips or vanilla candy melts, melted
- To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
- Make sure to set out butter, eggs, milk, and sour cream so they can warm to room temperature.*
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Add vanilla and mix on low until combined.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, sift together flour (or my preferred blend), xanthan gum (if your blend doesn't already contain a gum), baking powder, and salt.
- Add ⅓ dry ingredients into wet mixture and mix on low until combined. Add milk and mix on low until combined. Add another ⅓ of dry mixture and mix on low until combined. Add sour cream and mix together. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.
- In a microwave safe dish, heat ½ cup white chocolate chips at 50% heat for 1 minute. Stir until melted. Heat for additional 15 second intervals if needed. Stir for at least a minute in between heating intervals. Add melted chocolate to batter and stir until evenly incorporated.
- Fill cupcake liners ⅔ way full and bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 22-24 minutes or until tops spring back at touch of a finger or toothpick inserted into center comes out clean with very few crumbs.
- Set cupcake pans on cooling racks. Allow to cool for 3 minutes and carefully remove from pan and place directly on cooling racks to continue cooling. Once cupcakes are completely cool, begin frosting.
- To make frosting, whip butter until smooth. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Melt ¼ cup white chocolate chips in microwave at 50% power for 45 seconds. Stir until melted. Let chocolate sit for 1-2 minutes so it's not too warm. Stir and add melted chocolate to frosting and mix until smooth. Add additional milk for thinner consistency or extra powdered sugar for thicker consistency.
- Frost cupcakes and decorate according to preference. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in fridge for up to 5 days, or in freezer for up to 3 months.
