Got 20 minutes or less to whip up a sweet for a Saturday afternoon bite or Sunday brunch, give this Almond Butter Cupcakes recipe a chance, our second serving from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free Cookbook (Ulysses Press, 2011) by Amy Green.
Almond Butter Cupcakes:
Moist and light, these cupcakes can be filled with chocolate and topped with coconut (see variation below) or, for a fun kid-friendly twist, top with Banana Cream Frosting (page 181).
Makes 16 cupcakes
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3⁄4 cup palm sugar
1⁄2 cup almond butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Basic Flour Blend (page 212)
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3⁄4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 recipe Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (page 182) or Chocolate Glaze (page 180)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin and 4 cups of a second tin with cupcake papers or lightly mist the cups with cooking spray.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the palm sugar one-third at a time, allowing the sugar to incorporate between each addition. Scrape the bowl down as necessary. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the almond butter for 20 seconds to warm it, then add it to the butter mixture and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing the first to fully incorporate before adding the second. Mix in the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour blend, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. On low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the batter in three parts, alternating with the almond milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Use a spring-release ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups.They should be about two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the tins halfway through, until the cupcakes spring back lightly when pressed in the center or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack lined with a paper towel to cool completely. Frost with Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting or dip the tops in Chocolate Glaze.
Basic Flour Blend
4 cups (480 grams) garbanzo–fava bean flour
4 cups (452 grams) sorghum flour
2 cups (324 grams) potato starch
1 1/3 cups (156 grams) tapioca starch
Mix well and store in an airtight container, preferably in the refrigerator.
(* Recipe reproduced by permission of the publisher and the author, photo from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free)