Gluten Free Red Velvet Valentine Hearts

I'm back with some cutie patootie Valentine's Day Red Velvet mini cupcakes.

These little babies are actually smaller than your average mini-cupcake, so you can eat 2 or 3 without feeling an ounce of guilt!! These gluten free cupcake bites are also quite low in sugar and are very tasty! And they are just so darn cute to boot!

I didn't eat red velvet cake growing up. We just didn't have it. I don't know why because it is so tasty and delicious. My only exposure to this delicacy was watching "Steel Magnolias" and seeing the groom's Red Velvet cake (one of those fun southern traditions), which was shaped like an armadillo.




I wanted to make little cupcakes shaped like hearts for Valentine's Day with a cake that wasn't your average Joe -- which would be plain old chocolate at our house! So I decided to revamp a red velvet cake recipe. This cake is lower in saturated fats than most cakes and I also lowered the amount of sugar originally called for. There is a substantial amount of red food coloring, which is artificial. If you are opposed to using so much food coloring, just make brown velvet cupcakes, as the cocoa will naturally make them brown! I'm sure they would taste just as good without the food coloring!

This is also my entry into a blogging event called, " A Heart for Your Valentine" hosted by Zorra at 1x umruhren bitte. I hope you will enter as well! All you need to do is bake an edible "heart" of any type for your Valentine!

Make these special, guilt-free, gluten-free treats for your favorite sweeties on Valentine's Day! I warn you though, this makes about 60 tiny heart-shaped cake bites, so make sure you have lots of people to help you eat them!






Red Velvet Valentine Hearts (Mini-Cupcakes)

Dry Ingredients:
2/3 cup millet flour
2/3 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk -or- 1 cup regular milk mixed with 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. low-fat cream cheese, softened
*Red Food Coloring


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare mini cupcake tins or heart-shaped tins with paper liners or spritz with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients (excluding sugar!).
In another large bowl mix together buttermilk or soured milk with vinegar and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.
With an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time until well incorporated.
Slowly add half of dry mixture, followed by half of buttermilk mixture to creamed sugar mixture. Beat until just combined. Repeat until all of flour and buttermilk mixtures have been incorporated.
Add 1/2 oz. of red food coloring, or more to your liking and mix well with mixer. Do not overbeat.
In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter.
Fill each muffin tin 2/3 full with batter.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. WATCH CAREFULLY! You do not want these little cuties to burn!

For Icing:
Combine powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract and mix until creamy. Spread on cooled cupcakes and enjoy!


For a printer friendly version, click here.

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I'll be hosting the Gluten Free Menu Swap next week, the ingredient of the week will (of course) be chocolate in honor of Valentine's Day!

I'll be preparing a chocolate souffle next week for the special occasion!

Check back this week for the Winter Mystery Photo Contest and keep an eye out for the February Gluten Free Grill coming up this month!!