Can Cornstarch Replace Flour? And gluten-free Cupcake Recipe

[happyslob]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, and in fact my first day here! I've known for quite some time that I'm intolerant to white all-purpose flour, but I think I've figured out that any wheat makes me sick.

Anyway...I found a recipe for cupcakes online that are gluten-free, and they use cornstarch instead of flour. Have any of you had success using cornstarch or cornflour in place of flour in other recipes? Can it generally be used as a replacement?

Thank you!

Christina

PS. The link to the gluten-free cupcakes is: Open Original Shared Link -- I haven't made these yet, but will post results when I do!

[Darn210]

In general, no one flour replaces wheat flour. It is usually a mixture of at least 3 flours/starches. One of the most common one has

2 cups rice flour

2/3 cups potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca starch/flour

Here is a great recipe for cupcakes

Open Original Shared Link

Get your rice flour at an asian market. It's a finer ground flour and it makes a big difference.

[Darn210]

Here's a good flour discussion . . . you'll find that everyone has different tastes. Some people like bean flours, some don't. Some like the rice flours, some don't . . .

You'll need to add xanthan gum to help with your texture but the thread below goes into it more:

Open Original Shared Link

[irish daveyboy]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, and in fact my first day here!...........

Anyway...I found a recipe for cupcakes online that are gluten-free, and they use cornstarch instead of flour. Have any of you had success using cornstarch or cornflour in place of flour in other recipes?

Hi 'happyslob,

I have a recipe for an easy gluten-free cornflour/starch sponge cake complete with photo,

which is listed on My Space, check my personal profile.

.

Hope this is of some help.

Best Regards,

David

[happyslob]

Hi David,

Thanks so much! I will definitely go and check that out. It sounds delicious.

To let everyone else know - I did make those cornstarch cupcakes last night. I changed the recipe slightly, by adding an egg (was surprised the original recipe didn't call for one), a bit more vanilla, and a handful of chocolate chips.

The result was surprisingly good! I liked these best when they were fresh out of the oven - the chocolate chips were lovely and gooey, and the texture of the cupcakes reminded me a lot of angel food cake. This morning, the cupcakes had firmed up more - more like a cross between a biscuit and a muffin, than a true cupcake. Still yummy, but they also seemed drier to me today than last night.

As well - underfill the muffin cups if you try this recipe. These little babies REALLY rise, especially near the end!

I'd say these are a pretty nice little cakey snack, especially for new celiacs who don't have a pantry filled with specialty baking ingredients yet. Enjoy!

Take care all,

Christina

[happygirl]

You could also use a pre-mixed gluten free flour blend (Bob's Red Mill, Arrowhead Mills, etc.)

[happyslob]

Thanks happygirl. I'm going to do some experimenting with the different gluten-free all purpose flour mixes.

[kbabe1968]

Have you tried the gluten-free yellow cupcake recipe on allrecipes? I use it ALL the time now. I just made some yesterday for a girls bookclub for my daughter. All the kids ate them without even blinking.

If gluten is your only avoidance, it's a GREAT recipe.

[happyslob]

That sounds delicious! I'll go do a search for it, so I have the recipe whenever I need it.

Thanks!

[larry mac]

Hey Christina,

You may find it to be immensely helpfull to let your gluten-free baked goods cool after baking, and then immediately freeze them. Gluten free baked goods get hard and dry within hours. After defrosting, one must usually heat in the microwave or use a toaster.

Plus, the chocolate chips will melt again after about 20 seconds per muffin in the microwave.

best regards, lm

[JNBunnie1]

That sounds delicious! I'll go do a search for it, so I have the recipe whenever I need it.

Thanks!

As a new gluten free baker, there's a bit of key info you may not be aware of. Corn starch and corn flour are NOT the same thing, neither are potato starch and potato flour. The only time a starch is the same as a flour is with tapioca. Just thought I would mention it because you had starch/flour slashed together as if they were the same thing, and that could really mess up a recipe. But everyone messes up a few recipes anyway, that's the nature of gluten-free baking. One perso made a joke about perfecting the distance from their oven to their trashcan!