Gluten Free Black Forest Cupcakes

Tomorrow is my boyfriend’s birthday! Yay! He requested a black forest cake but like any baked goods he gets a hankering for they have to be adapted to a gluten free version.

The frosting looks all wonky because I couldn’t find my decorating tips and had to use a plastic bag with the corner cut off. Don’t judge.

I opted for a dark chocolate cupcake filled with cherry and topped some with cherry mousse and some with whipped cream.

I only had 4 eggs and the recipe requires 5 (Okay, so I know I said before that I detest using a recipe but since I’m putting it out here for you guys I followed the recipe. I’m nice like that). On the way back from the egg run I had to get some of this:

You know, so I wouldn’t be tempted to down a bunch of cupcakes while they’re still hot and have another finger burning incident. Don’t worry that’s fat-free yogurt under all that candy. Ha!

Ok, on to the cupcakes. I tweaked this recipe a bit and they are scrumptious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour

1 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

1 large can cherry pie filling (or homemade if you’re feeling ambitious)

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbs sugar, more if you like your whipped cream sweeter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners (24 cupcakes).

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter and sugars with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and yogurt.

Mix dry ingredients into wet in 3 batches. Beat until well combined.

Fill each paper liner 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched. Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack.

Drain as much syrup as possible off of cherries. Reserve the syrup.

Use a wooden spoon handle to poke a hole in each cupcake.

Fill each hole with cherries.

Beat the cream, vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form. For cherry mousse-like frosting, mix the reserved syrup into the whipped cream. Or leave it plain. Or just eat it right out of the bowl with a spoon.