Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe comes from Cybele Pascal. She has written two FABULOUS books about allergy free cooking and I would be doing LOTS more experimenting if it weren't for her. This doesn't follow her exact recipe as I didn't have any AF superfine brown rice flour....SO, I used Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour instead. Instead of a rice base, it's mostly garbanzo bean flour!

Anyways, these cupcakes were moist and chocolaty. The smelled heavenly and I personally think they looked beautiful. The frosting was different....it didn't have that same "buttery" flavor, but hey....it was chocolate. Anyways, the really awesome thing is that even people with allergies can have yummy sweets!

For the cupcakes, you need:

1. 1 cup rice milk
2. 1 tsp cider vinegar
3. 1 cup gluten/dairy free baking mix (For the ones in the pic, I used Bob's Red Mill)
4. 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (gluten/dairy free)....um, really, most unsweetened cocoa powder SHOULD technically be safe. But check the label. You never know where an allergy is secretly hiding!!!!!!
5. 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
6. 3/4 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder
7. 1/4 tsp salt
8. 3/4 cup sugar
9. 1/3 cup canola oil
10. 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (again, some vanilla contains gluten...make sure you are using gluten free stuff!)

For the frosting, you need:

1. 6 tablespoons dairy/soy free vegetable shortening
2. 2 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
3. 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4. 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon rice milk
5. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6. pinch of salt

1) Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin pan.

2) Combine rice milk and vinegar and set aside.

3) Whisk together your dry ingredients (minus the sugar). Make sure there are no lumps left from the cocoa powder. Set aside.

4) With mixer, mix your wet ingredients (rice milk mixture, canola oil, vanilla) with your sugar until light and foamy.

5) In 3 batches, sift your chocolate flour mixture into the sugar mixture and combine well.

6) Fill muffin liners 2/3 full.

7) Bake in oven for 18 minutes, rotating half-way through. It's done when toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then on rack.

Frosting:

1) Beat shortening until fluffy (about 2 minutes).

2) In different bowl, whisk together your sugar and chocolate until no lumps.

3) Combine sugar mixture with shortening, alternating with rice milk. Add vanilla and salt, beat until smooth and fluffy...about 5 minutes. Pipe it or use a knife!