My Cupcakes Were A Disaster.......potential Projectiles.......

[DingoGirl]

Well, I made my FIRST and only attempt at gluten-free cupcakes to take to a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, out-of-town. The cupcakes did NOT make the trip with us - they were horrid! Spongy, and hard, and not even REMOTELY fluffy.

Folks, I know it can be done, because I went to the Stanford Celiac conference 1.5 years ago, and ate some cupcakes from a bakery up there that made me swoon.........light and fluffy and just unbelievable.

So.......here are the ingredients:

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups white rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla

extract

**********

I was SO sure they'd be light and fluffy as there was mayonnaise.....

Could it have been too much rice flour?

Because, these are going to be cut up and used as dog biscuits now.

Thanks for your help!!!!!!! I really want to make these and IMPRESS the regular gluten-eaters........not disgust them!!!!!!!!!

[lonewolf]

Susan,

I have used this recipe with great success for cake and pineapple upside-down cake. Haven't tried cupcakes yet, but there are directions for them. Looking at your recipe I would say that there's too much tapioca starch - were they heavy and chewy? Why don't you give this one a try. (Copied from recipe section on celiac.com.)

This recipe comes to us from Lynn Facey.

White Cake (gluten-free)

2 cups gluten-free flour *(Bette Hagman's)

2 teaspoons xanthan gum (I only use 1-1/2 tsp.)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour baking pan, 13 X 9 X 2" or 2 round layer pans or for cupcakes (muffin tins) - use paper liners. Measure all ingredients into a large bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans. Bake 40-45 minutes for oblong, 30-35 for round, and 15-20 for cupcakes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

Note: I usually only beat it for 1 minute, instead of the 3 the recipe says.

*Flour mix - 3 C Rice flour (I use brown rice), 1 C Potato Starch, 1/2 C Tapioca Starch. Sift 3 times. Measure 2 Cups flour for the cake recipe from this. Do NOT use a flour mix with bean flour!

[DingoGirl]

Hi Liz,

they WERE heavy and chewy! Blech! But, it was tapioca FLOUR and not starch - does that make a difference?

I will definitely try your recipe, in fact, probably tomorrow, as there is still plenty of chocolate ganache frosting left.

Also wonder if I beat them too long? Does that make a difference? I think it does.....

[cyberprof]

Hi Liz,

they WERE heavy and chewy! Blech! But, it was tapioca FLOUR and not starch - does that make a difference?

I will definitely try your recipe, in fact, probably tomorrow, as there is still plenty of chocolate ganache frosting left.

Also wonder if I beat them too long? Does that make a difference? I think it does.....

Tapioca starch and tapioca flour are the same thing (but that is not true about potato starch...it is not the same as potato flour).

~Laura

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Try Annalise ROberts' recipe (www.foodphilosopher.com), using her blend of:

6 cups finely ground brown rice flour (I use 3 cups Bob's Red Mill brown rice flour which is not so fine, and 3 cups Asian grocery white rice flour, which is fine),

2 cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca starch

Mix that up, keep it in an airtight container, and use it in her cupcake recipe (which I SWEAR is better than any gluteny recipe I ever made before, and I baked a LOT before going gluten-free):

Food Philosopher

[kbabe1968]

I use this recipe ALL The time. As a matter of fact have made it for kids birthdays when even kids don't know that it's gluten-free.

The first time I made it, however, it was horrible!!!LOL!!

My recommendations is:

Whip the eggs, sugar and mayo together until really really really fluffy. I would also make sure the eggs are room temp and not really cold. I have a kitchen aid mixer and I use the whipper attachement NOT the paddle when I make this recipe. So...if you're not using a mixer OR using an hand mixer it will take more work...but it pays off! (if you have a KA or stand mixer, I start the sugar, eggs and mayo and THEN measure the dry ingredients...usually by the time i have them measured and sifted together, the consistency of the wet ingredients is just right).

Sift the dry ingredients together (and BTW, Tapioca flour is what I use too).

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk - ending with milk.

Also, I add about 3 Tbs of vanilla pudding powder to the dry ingredients. Makes them moister.

The other thing I recommend is either halfing the recipe OR baking 12 cupcakes or 1 cake layer at a time. I've noticed when I do a whole recipe, it takes a lot longer to bake and the edges get done faster than the rest and they are more dense.

I hope this helps.

This is my favorite recipe, and I use it all the time with the suggestions above and they turn out EXACTLY the same as the old gluten cake mix type cupcakes.

Good luck.

[Mom23boys]

I read somewhere to let your gluten-free flours sit a while with the liquid ingredients before baking. Somehow they need to soak up moisture so they don't turn into door stops.

[jerseyangel]

Hi Susie

If you're not adverse to a mix--I use The Gluten Free Pantry Cake and Cookie Mix. I use water instead of any milk, it makes it lighter

It's great frosted as a cake or cupcakes, and I use it in my upside down cakes, too.

[buffettbride]

This is what I would try:

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 c Pamela's Pancake Mix

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2/3 cup Sour Cream

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla

extract

I had to modify a similar recipe for banana bread. Using Pamela's has never failed me (and I'm a total wreck in the kitchen). Plus, the sour cream seems to "fluffify" things and doesn't have the additional egg content as the mayo.

[Darn210]

Ouch!!! I think I chipped a tooth!!! I must have been eating one of Susie's cupcakes!!!

HeeHeeHee

I'm sorry Susie . . . just kidding . . . don't go and throw a cupcake at me or anything.

Get you rice flour from an Asian Market, it's a finer ground and I found that it made a huge difference!!

[DingoGirl]

This is my favorite recipe, and I use it all the time with the suggestions above and they turn out EXACTLY the same as the old gluten cake mix type cupcakes.

Good luck.

So..........evidently the RECIPE is okay........it's a case of Operator Error!!!!!!!!!!! Well, that doesn't surprise me. I am NOT a baker.......can't stand it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks for the hints everyone - - I am determined to have cupcake success!

Ouch!!! I think I chipped a tooth!!! I must have been eating one of Susie's cupcakes!!!

HeeHeeHee

I'm sorry Susie . . . just kidding . . . don't go and throw a cupcake at me or anything.

<shaking head>

you are just a lunatic, aren't you???????? and if I could throw that far, I surely would......

:lol:

[Green12]

So..........evidently the RECIPE is okay........it's a case of Operator Error!!!!!!!!!!! Well, that doesn't surprise me. I am NOT a baker.......can't stand it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks for the hints everyone - - I am determined to have cupcake success!

<shaking head>

you are just a lunatic, aren't you???????? and if I could throw that far, I surely would......

:lol:

So sorry Susie about the muffin mishap.

I haven't graduated to baking gluten-free from scratch, I take the easy way out and use a mix I like the Namaste Muffin Mix, and agree with Patti the gluten-free Pantry Mixes are awesome.

For chocolate cupcakes I've had lots of luck with Pamela's Chocolate Cake mix (using muffin tins), you can not tell that these are gluten-free, my gluten eating family raves about them!

[kbabe1968]

you live too far away! I'd come show you how to make them! It did take me a few attempts to get them right. But now that I got them, they are awesome! And Pillsbury Vanilla Icing is gluten free (as of the last time I called them).

I'd love to open a bakery, but being a SAHM, homeschooling mom, I don't get much time to myself! LOL

I hope you get it worked out!

[DingoGirl]

Well SOMEone should be here helping me bake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Um, confession........

I've pulled the cupcakes out of my freezer - let them thaw - - was going to use them as dog biscuits - -

but instead - as I am menstrual today - - I've gently warmed them in the microwave....with the ganache..........have eaten three........no, maybe four?

Someone help me

Next batch - TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JNBunnie1]

Well SOMEone should be here helping me bake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Um, confession........

I've pulled the cupcakes out of my freezer - let them thaw - - was going to use them as dog biscuits - -

but instead - as I am menstrual today - - I've gently warmed them in the microwave....with the ganache..........have eaten three........no, maybe four?

Someone help me

Next batch - TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stop that!

So anyway, if it makes you feel any better, my first from-scratch muffin attempt was a complete disaster. I got hockey pucks. My boyfriend took them to work and came home and told me that the Mexicans (literally, he worked with mexicans) were like, "Hey man, those don't look like muffins, I'm not eating those". Feel any better? At least yours TASTE like cupcakes..............

[lonewolf]

Um, confession........

I've pulled the cupcakes out of my freezer - let them thaw - - was going to use them as dog biscuits - -

but instead - as I am menstrual today - - I've gently warmed them in the microwave....with the ganache..........have eaten three........no, maybe four?

Someone help me

Next batch - TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL - I think we MUST be related!

[lonewolf]

Whoops, sorry, double post.

[DingoGirl]

Stop that!

So anyway, if it makes you feel any better, my first from-scratch muffin attempt was a complete disaster. I got hockey pucks. My boyfriend took them to work and came home and told me that the Mexicans (literally, he worked with mexicans) were like, "Hey man, those don't look like muffins, I'm not eating those". Feel any better? At least yours TASTE like cupcakes..............

Yeah, as mentioned before....they're not bad when warmed!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL - I think we MUST be related!

There's only one cupcake left, and I"ll eat it before bed tonight, so that I can be DONE and move on tomorrow.......start fresh.................

[JNBunnie1]

Yeah, as mentioned before....they're not bad when warmed!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's only one cupcake left, and I"ll eat it before bed tonight, so that I can be DONE and move on tomorrow.......start fresh.................

Yeah, you wouldn't want that 'bad' cupcake karma ruining your new ones.............

LOL