I know cupcakes are supposed to be pretty. Even before you add the sugar-rush frosting, they are supposed to be elegant and have a pretty round top... well these don't. But they don't know that. So try not to hurt their little chocolate cupcake feelings.
These little cupcakes are special. They are EMERGENCY gluten free cupcakes. Gluten free chocolate cupcakes that you can make in less than 5 minutes from mixing to frosting. Nope, I'm not kidding. You know those days... when you find out right before school that's there's a birthday party in your child's class, or a lunch pot luck at work? Or when you realize you're the parent that's responsible for snacks at soccer practice today (and you happen to have a little gluten-free soccer player!)... You know... those moments?
Or the "It's 10 pm and I'm DYING for a chocolate cupcake" moment... that's totally acceptable as a chocolate gluten free cupcake emergency.
If you're a person who happens to have emergencies like that... then this recipe is for you. It's a small recipe for chocolate cake that would make about 6-8 small cupcakes using the microwaveable egg poacher tray below or you could divide the batter between two large ceramic coffee mugs and make two VERY large cupcakes, or cut the finished cupcakes in half and make 4 nicely-sized "normal" cupcakes.
Yep.... these are cupcakes you make in the microwave! That amazing machine from the 80's that I still love no matter what the anti-microwave purists say. (Did you know you could make a MEAN and SUPER-fast meatloaf in the 'wave machine? You sure can! Works great in the summer!) The small cupcakes take less than a minute to cook, while the larger cupcakes take about a minute and 20 seconds. That's it. It takes you longer to mix the batter than it does to bake the cupcakes.
Now remember, they aren't the cutest little cupcakes you'll ever make. Nope. But just because they aren't cute doesn't mean they won't taste amazing. If you want to use the plastic microwave-safe egg poacher in the photo below, I found that at the Dollar Store... yes... it was $1. (Michael's mom will ask.) But if you're not into the whole using-plastic-in-the-microwave thing, then you can simply use 2-3 ceramic coffee mugs! There are directions for both below!
I created these cupcakes not only for emergencies but for 5 years of being gluten free! At the very top of this post you'll see five little gluten free cupcakes (all of which were consumed immediately after being made by my hubs and inlaws!) -- they symbolize the past five years of gluten-free freedom!
Beth Hillson, who is the Food Editor of Living Without Magazine, the founder of the Gluten Free Pantry line of products, and a cookbook author challenged gluten free bloggers through the month of May to make 1 cupcake per year they had been gluten-free. So for me? This August is my fifth gluten-free birthday!! And for five years of living well with no gluten-induced migraines. Check out Beth's initial post on her blog sharing the 17 gluten-free cupcakes she made for herself!
Emergency Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
(made in the microwave)
free of gluten, dairy/casein, and soy
created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
printer-friendly recipe
Dry Ingredients:
1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tsp. brown rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
3 tablespoons sugar
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional -- batter will be a little bit runny without it, but should still make fine cupcakes!)
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
Wet Ingredients:
1 egg
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. At this point, you could place dry ingredients in a glass jar or ziplock baggie and store for future emergency cupcakes!
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all wet ingredients. Whisk batter together thoroughly with a fork or whisk.
- To make the cupcakes with coffee mugs: Use 3 coffee mugs. Spritz each mug with non-stick cooking spray or a little bit of olive oil. Add 1/3 of batter to each mug. Place mugs in the microwave individually and cook on high for 40 seconds to 1 minute and 20 seconds until they are cooked thoroughly and "bounce back" when touched on the top. Allow the cake to cook for about 3 minutes, then pour out of mug onto a small plate. cut each cake in half horizontally to make 2 small cupcakes per mug. Place cupcakes in liners and frost when cool with your favorite gluten free frosting/icing. Makes 6 cupcakes.
- To make the cupcakes with plastic microwave-safe egg poacher pans: Using the egg poachers -- place about 2-3 tablespoons of batter into each egg poacher, until it's about half-full. Place the plastic pan in the microwave and cook on high for about 40 seconds to 1 minute depending on how hot your microwave cooks. The cupcakes will "bounce back" when touched on the top when they are done. Turn cupcakes out onto a plate to cool for several minutes. Then place cupcakes (They will be small! They won't get as tall as they would in the oven) into cupcake liners and frost as usual. Eat immediately, or store in fridge for later. You can also freeze these cupcakes for anytime cupcake emergencies! Makes 6-9 cupcakes depending on how much batter you use per cake.
