Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

As those of you that regularly read my blog know, I love to explore with different foods, ingredients and diets out there.  These Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting is my attempt to better appreciate gluten-free cooking (and vegan too).  My ENJOYMENT with the EXPLORATION of food and diets is twofold: First, the creativity needed to develop a recipe that will mimic, or be as good as its gluten equivalent; and two, learning about the different reactions of ingredients.

Gluten-Free Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting from Feed Your Soul Too

Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting from Feed Your Soul Too

As I write this post, I am sitting on a plane on the way to visit my daughter in Washington DC.  A little over a year ago, our daughter moved to Washington DC to work on Capitol Hill.  She is loving it and doing really well.  The only problem is (besides missing her so much) she was my SOUS CHEF.  She is an awesome baker and I learned a lot from her.  She would also search PINTEREST or BUZZFEED for baking ideas.  It was so fun to have her in the kitchen with me.

Now back to my Gluten-Free Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting.  I have made a few gluten-free recipes before and know that the challenge is with the density and airiness of the cake.  I figured that adding additional moisture into the cake with mashed bananas would develop the consistency for the cupcake that one would expect.  It did exactly that.  I cannot wait to have some gluten-free friends over to share this recipe with them.  I know they will love it.

The second objective of this recipe was to also make it vegan.  There is no challenge to do that with the cupcake but it is a little more challenging for the frosting.  Great frosting recipes use cream or butter in some fashion whether it be cream cheese, heavy whipping cream or butter whipped up.  I was pretty sure the coconut milk would work just fine.  I use coconut milk as a substitute for milk or cream all the time.  I love the richness it brings.  I was not so sure how the vegan butter would hold up.  Answer, pretty darn well.  I used the spreadable Smart Balance butter.  It whipped up just fine with the powdered sugar.

The cast of characters.

Ingredients

The process of putting together the dry and wet ingredients and adding the mashed bananas.

Wet Ingredients

Wet and Dry Ingredients Mixed

Mashed Bananas Added

The cake batter added to the tins and the cupcakes just out of the oven.

Gluten free Banana Cupcakes Baked In Cupcake Tins

Gluten free Banana Cupcakes Baked

The vegan frosting ingredients and the mixed ingredients.

Frosting Ingredients

Frosting Mixed

The final Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting on a baking rack.

Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting Plated

Gluten free Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

2016-09-21 01:34:29

Serves 12

A gluten free banana cupcake with a vegan buttercream frosting.

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons egg replacer
2. 5 Tbsp water
3. 1/2 cup Almond Breeze Vanilla Milk
4. 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
5. 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup
6. 1 Tbsp agave nectar
7. 1/3 cup granulated sugar
8. 1/4 cup melted vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
9. 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
10. 1 cup banana mash (3 bananas)
11. 1 teaspoon vanilla
12. 1/4 tsp sea salt
13. 2 tablespoons xanthan
14. 3/4 cup gluten free rice flour
15. 3/4 cup gluten free flour blend

Vegan Buttercream Frosting

1. 1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, softened
2. 2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
3. 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
4. Splash almond milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Line 12 muffins with paper liners, or lightly grease.
3. Measure out almond milk and add vinegar.
4. Stir and let curdle while moving onto the next step.
5. Prepare egg replacer in a large mixing bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Add baking soda to the almond milk vinegar mixture and stir. It should fizz.
7. Add the sugar, agave and almond milk mixture to the egg replacer and beat to combine.
8. Then add banana mash, melted coconut oil, vanilla, salt and mix.
9. Add rice flour, xanthan and gluten free flour blend and beat to combine.
10. Divide batter evenly between muffin tins, filling 3/4 full.
11. Bake for 29-34 minutes or until puffy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
12. Let rest in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then remove and let cool COMPLETELY on a cooling rack.

Vegan Buttercream Frosting

1. Add softened butter to your mixing bowl.
2. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla and mix once more.
3. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing until thick and creamy.
4. Drizzle in a little almond milk to thin.
5. The frosting should be thick so it will hold its shape once on the cupcakes.
6. Once cooled, frost cupcakes.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Feed Your Soul Too https://www.feedyoursoul2.com/