Cupcake Disaster

[2Boys4Me]

Today I tried the Annalise Robert's Chocolate Fudge cake, but cupcakes. (The recipe said I could do that.) They're horrid! They were rising nicely when I turned the oven light on at 10 minutes left and then when the timer rang they were all sunken in the middle.

The batter tasted great and they seem to be cooked, I don't know what they taste like but I certainly can't serve them at the birthday party!

Thank goodness I was making them today. I thought I'd make them now and put them in the freezer until Sunday and ice them right before the party. I knew I'd never have time between the hockey practices and games tomorrow and Sunday morning.

At least I have a mix in the cupboard, I'll have to cram in some time to make them between hockey and work. (sigh .)

[AndreaB]

I don't know what to say Linda.

Sorry.

[angel-jd1]

Possibly you beat them too much and got too much air into the mixture.

Leave out any ingredients like baking soda or baking powder?

Also did you slam the oven door or anything to cause them to fall??

I've never had any trouble with ANY of her recipes.......LOVE THEM!!

-Jessica

[jerseyangel]

I hate when that happens I've been using recipes from The Gluten Free Kitchen, and I get the same results with muffins and breads baked in a loaf pan.

I got around the quickbreads--instead of baking them in the loaf pan, I do them in an 8x8 square pan for 30 minutes. They rise and stay that way.

I don't know how else you could do the cupcakes--because you would think that such a small amount of batter would be fine. I guess a square cake, cut into squares isn't quite the same

[2Boys4Me]

Well, we can't serve them to the kids coming to the party, but we can crumble them up with ice cream . They taste all right, but to look at them - ugh.

Andrea, I appreciate the sympathy. At least the family can still eat them.

Jessica, you may have a point with over mixing. It said to beat the sugar and eggs until fluffy, so I just kept them beating while I measured out all the dry ingredients. The recipe said to use fat-free milk and I used partly skimmed. Would that make a difference?

Well, I'll break out the mix tomorrow and try these again another day. Maybe "mini-cupcakes" next time.

Patti, have you ever gotten the cobbler recipe to work from the gluten-free Kitchen? I made blueberry cobbler once and the biscuity part was good but felt a bit under cooked. I made the bread sticks the other day with grated Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Fabulous! Served with a delicious tomato/cream primavera sauce. I can't tell you how good it was and I just made it up! I was trying to copy a restaurant sauce that I love and it worked!

[Jestgar]

Actually the ice cream idea sounds great. Soften some ice cream and make up individual servings by scooping and spreading the softened ice cream over the cupcakes in their wrappers and put the whole thing back into the freezer. You've just frosted your cupcakes with ice cream and no one will know they're kind of squishy in the middle.

[jerseyangel]

Patti, have you ever gotten the cobbler recipe to work from the gluten-free Kitchen? I made blueberry cobbler once and the biscuity part was good but felt a bit under cooked. I made the bread sticks the other day with grated Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Fabulous! Served with a delicious tomato/cream primavera sauce. I can't tell you how good it was and I just made it up! I was trying to copy a restaurant sauce that I love and it worked!

I haven't tried the cobbler yet. I'll make sure to bake it long enough and check to make sure it's done all the way through. I do notice, from the few things I've tried so far, that I need to bake everything a few minutes longer--for instance the brownies. Those took at least an extra 5 minutes.

Your sauce sounds heavenly

[teebs in WV]

Linda,

So sorry your cupcakes went kerplunk. I like the idea of disguising them - I was thinking maybe something Halloween related. Maybe like dirt pudding? Put a little chocolate pudding on top of each one and maybe a gummy worm (if you can find a gluten-free one of course).....

Are you willing to share the recipes for the breadsticks and tomato/cream sauce? I know you just made up the sauce, but do you remember about what you did?

Thanks,

Tracy

[2Boys4Me]

Hi Tracy. Here you go.

Soft and Chewy Breadsticks (by Roben Ryberg - The Gluten Free Kitchen)

1/4 cup shortening

3 tablespoons honey

2 eggs

1 tablespoon yeast

1 cup unflavored yogurt

1/2 cup potato starch

1 1/2 cups cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon vinegar

Topping: Kosher salt and/or other herbs, sesame seeds, etc.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients. Mix well to remove lumps. The dough will be quite wet. Place dough in a pastry bag with a large round tip (or use a plastic lunch bag with a bit of a corner cut off). Pipe dough into long strips (5-6 inches is nice) on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with toppings. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Pasta Primavera Sauce (a Rosé sauce - tomatoes & cream)

2 1/2 medium sized cans Hunts crushed tomatoes (save the other 1/2 can for dipping sauce for breadsticks...recipe to follow)

10oz can Hunts tomato sauce

250ml (1 cup) heavy cream

1 red pepper, diced

about 7 mushrooms, sliced

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

3 carrots, sliced diagonally

2 celery sticks, sliced diagonally

garlic

Victorian Epicure (Epicure Selections) Italian Seasoning mix (I just sprinkled it in - maybe about 2 tsp?)

olive oil

I put a "glug" of olive oil in my pot and sauteed about a teaspoon of minced garlic with the onion and carrots. Add all the rest and simmer until veggies are tender-crisp and you're ready to eat. Stir occasionally.

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With the other 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes make a dipping sauce for your breadsticks:

In a small pot, simmer together 1/2 can crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning mix and garlic. This will be nice and thick kind of like the Pizza Hut dipping sauce (from the olden days when you could go to Pizza Hut).

[teebs in WV]

Thanks Linda! Can't wait to try them.

Tracy

[2Boys4Me]

Oh Tracy, the sauce made gobs and gobs, so you'll have some for the freezer.

Meanwhile, the mix cupcakes look just like cupcakes! Whew! My husband did say that he loved having a giant bowl of crumbled up cupcakes handy in the fridge maybe with some ice cream, or cool whip or both . I suppose that explains why there wasn't much left for my "lunch dessert".

[Cheri A]

Linda ~ glad that the 2nd batch came out ok and your family is enjoying the first batch crumbled up!

I still have not found a cake that Carleigh likes and her birthday's coming too.

Patti ~ I have been preheating my oven to 200 and putting in the bread loaf pan, turn the oven OFF. Let the bread rise until just under the rim and then crank the oven back on to whatever the original temp is supposed to be, without touching the pan. It has been making some pretty bread loaves for her!!!

[Guest nini]

my daughter's favorite mix for a cake is Pamela's brownie mix (following cake instructions on bag)... I guess because of the extra chocolate chips in it, it always turns out really really moist and yummy. I also add sour cream to it to make it more moist.