Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe

Gluten free red velvet cupcakes in paper liners, with several topped with a glossy chocolate coating and one plain cupcake in the center.

5 from 1 vote

These tender, tangy gluten free red velvet cupcakes have a smooth, delicate chocolate flavor that pairs perfectly with a richer chocolate glaze topping.

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: stuffed gluten free red velvet cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or handheld mixer

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

1 ¾ cups all purpose gluten free flour blend (See Recipe Notes)
½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural works best, but Dutch-processed is fine, too)
⅞ cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
Red soft gel paste food coloring (optional) (I recommend Americolor brand)

For the chocolate glaze

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line one standard 12-cup muffin tin plus 4 more cups along a single row of a second tin, and set them aside.
In a medium-size bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder, and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, whisk the apple cider vinegar and vanilla into the buttermilk. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed just until creamy (about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes).
Add the eggs and about 1/4 teaspoon of the food coloring, if using, and beat on medium-high speed to combine well. The mixture should look quite bright pink. You can always add more food coloring later for a deeper red.
Add the dry ingredients in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in 3 batches, mixing to combine after each addition.
Begin and end with the dry ingredients. The batter should be smooth and relatively thick.
Fill each well of the prepared muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full, filling each well with about 45 grams of batter
Shake the pans back and forth to smooth the tops of the batter in each cup.
To bake all of the cupcakes at the same time, nest the completely full tin in the 3 rows of empty wells of the other tin to make a super-large tin with 16 filled wells.
Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 17 to 18 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently pressed in the center. Do not overbake.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes or less before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the glaze

Place the chopped chocolate in a small heat-safe bowl with the shortening, and melt both either over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second bursts until the mixture is melted and smooth.

Glaze the cupcakes

Dip the top of each cooled cupcake in the chocolate mixture, bob it up and down 3 times before carefully lifting it out of the chocolate and twisting it slightly as you turn it right side up to avoid dripping chocolate.
Allow the glaze to set at room temperature before serving.

Notes

Flour blends.

For best results, use Better Batter original blend or Nicole’s Best multipurpose blend with added xanthan gum.

Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 should also work with an extra ½ teaspoon xanthan gum to the dry ingredients to prevent crumbling.

To make your own blend, see the All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blends page.

Nutrition