Gluten Free Cupcake Recipe!

So, my beautiful sister Alice turned 21 and as a surprise we threw her an Vintage Afternoon Tea party. All the family got together and dug out old cups and saucers, made table decorations, baked lots of sweet treats, it was lovely! However, as I couldn't eat the sandwiches and cakes that everyone else brought and made I decided to make my own gluten free lavender cupcakes, and honestly they taste INCREDIBLE. They went down a treat, so if you'd like to give them a go too find the recipe down below & by all means please show me pictures of how they turn out in the comments or feel free tag me on social media, ENJOY!




INGREDIENTS FOR THE CUPCAKES

50g/2oz ground almonds
75g/3oz gluten-free plain flour
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
125g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
125g/4oz light brown soft sugar
1 teaspoon of Lavender Extract
(I used Star Kay White Lavender Extract)
2 eggs

INGREDIENTS FOR ICING
150g/5 oz unsalted butter, softened
250g/9 oz icing sugar
Food colouring of your choice
1 small tsp of Lavender Extract

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Weighing scales or cups.
18 Small-Medium sized bun cases
A bun tray/ or two.
A mixing bowl
A bowl for icing
A whisk (preferably electric)
2 teaspoons
A piping bag or piping tube.
A cooling rack

NOTE
For buttercream icing there is usually a ratio of 1 part butter to 2 parts icing sugar, the amounts above is how much I used but you can make as much or as little depending on how much icing you want on your cupcakes!




METHOD: TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit/ Gas mark 4 and line your bun tray[s] with 18 bun cases.

Measure out your ingredients and add the almonds, flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs and lavender extract (OR PREFERRED FLAVOURING) into a large bowl. Then beat together with an electric whisk (preferably electric) for approximately 2 minutes until the mixture has no lumps and is smooth and creamy!

Evenly divide your mixture into your bun cases -I used two teaspoons to do this-. Filling them with about 1-2 cm of space at the top left for them to rise, but don't worry rise all the way to the top as you'll be icing them anyway! :)

Put your cupcakes in the oven. I found that after 15-20 minutes, mine were ready to come out! They should be a golden brown and when you press the top of the cupcake it should spring back up. You can stick a cocktail stick in the middle and if they're done it should come out clear! However, if it comes out with cake batter on it put the cupcakes back in the oven for a couple more minutes.

Once you feel like your cupcakes are done baking take them out the oven, and transfer the cupcakes from the bun tray onto a cooling rack! You do not want your cupcakes to be solid to touch, the sides should feel springy and soft!

METHOD:TO MAKE THE ICING
*You can either do this whilst your cupcakes are baking or cooling!*
Measure out your butter and icing sugar.

Add the softened butter to the bowl and then start to gradually add in the icing sugar. Cream the ingredients together until it is a smooth paste.

Add a small teaspoon of lavender (or preferred extract) and stir in well. If you feel like you want the flavour to be stronger just add as much as you want till you are happy with it! & Then put a drop or two of food colouring in until it is the colour you would like it to be!

Next I used a piping tube to ice my buns as I find the tubes much easier to work with! Fill the tube with icing, start piping and tuck in!