These chocolate blackberry cupcakes are absolute perfection. The chocolate cake is fluffy and moist and the blackberry honey buttercream is sweet and luscious. If chocolate and fruit together is your "jam", these cupcakes will be your new favorite dessert!
Making gluten free cupcakes recipe may sound complicated at first, but I promise it's not! The chocolate cake features unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, gluten free baking flour, coffee, and coconut sugar. The blackberry frosting is creamy and absolutely delicious and made with fresh blackberry puree, raw honey, and butter. Yes, you can make this honey blackberry buttercream frosting with only three ingredients!
If you love chocolate, make my fudgy almond brownies, blueberry chocolate cake, and salted brownie crinkle cookies.
Ingredients
I've said this before, but gluten free recipes are always a little difficult to bake. Just being honest! They're nothing to be intimidated by though! Gluten free cake recipes are usually more dense because most gluten free flours are made with heavier ingredients, like buckwheat and a variety of starches. However, I actually think I have discovered the secret ingredient to gluten free baking!!
The Secret Ingredient for Gluten Free Cupcakes
The secret ingredient is...
Apple. Cider. Vinegar.
What?!
Yeah, I said it. Our old friend apple cider vinegar is our secret ingredient in these chocolate blackberry cupcakes. Believe it or not, ACV isn't just for drinking and gagging immediately after. Apple cider vinegar is frequently used when baking gluten free bread because it helps to strengthen the dough. It also helps to make the dough lighter and more springy. Using apple cider vinegar was incredibly effective while I was testing this recipe! It made these cupcakes go from dense to light and fluffy. My family could barely even tell that they were made sans gluten!
Can Only ACV be Used in Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes?
If you don't have apple cider vinegar on hand, you can use a different type of vinegar such as white vinegar. Any acid will help to lighten the dough. However, unpasteurized and unfiltered apple cider vinegar is what I highly recommend you to use.
More Ingredients You'll Need
For the chocolate cupcakes:
Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour: I use this gluten free flour in almost all of my baking recipes! It's my favorite and is made with a blend of rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, and tapioca flour.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: make sure that the cocoa powder you use is unsweetened.
Gluten free baking powder: to allow the cupcakes to rise.
Sea salt
Coconut sugar: for natural, unrefined sweetness.
Eggs: to hold everything together.
Coconut oil: I prefer melted coconut oil over melted butter in this recipe. However, make sure your coconut oil has cooled enough before using!
Brewed coffee: coffee really helps to deepen the flavor of these chocolate blackberry cupcakes.
Milk: full-fat milk is best for this recipe, but it also worked when I tested it using 2%.
Pure vanilla extract: essential for a subtle hint of flavor.
Apple cider vinegar: unpasteurized and unfiltered. The secret ingredient!
For the blackberry honey buttercream:
Blackberries: fresh berries are best, however frozen and thawed berries also work.
Unsalted butter
Pure vanilla extract
Raw honey: this honey should be thick and raw. It's not the translucent honey we're used to! I used Wholesome Organic Raw Unfiltered Honey.
Essential Equipment You'll Need
Food Processor or blender
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Mixing bowl
Fine mesh strainer
Cupcake liners
Cupcake pan (with 12 cupcake wells)
Piping bag and large piping tip
Tips for Making These Cupcakes
- Before making the cupcake batter, allow the melted coconut oil, eggs, brewed coffee, and milk all to come to room temperature.
- For this recipe, you'll want to overmix your batter! Because gluten free flour has less structure than traditional flour, you need to build structure in other ways. Mixing gluten free batter a little bit more allows it to have a better rise and crumb.
- Be sure to let the cupcake batter rest covered for 30 minutes before baking. This, again, promotes better rising and a fluffier texture.
Gluten Free Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes FAQ
Where Should I Store My Cupcakes?
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. Store the frosting separately in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I recommend frosting each cupcake as it will be eaten, but if you frost more than you can eat, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How Much Should I Fill the Cupcake Liners?
Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full to allow room for the cupcakes to rise.
Why Do Cupcakes Crack on Top?
If your cupcakes crack on top while they are baking, your oven temperature is most likely too high!
Can I Use Frozen Blackberries?
Yes. Just make sure they have completely thawed before adding them to the food processor.
Other Gluten Free Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes
Equipment
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Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup gluten free baking flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup brewed coffee room temperature
- ½ cup milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Blackberry Honey Buttercream
- 1 cup blackberries
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup raw honey
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line one 12-serving cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.1 cup gluten free baking flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract. Then, whisk in each egg one at a time.⅓ cup coconut oil, 1 cup coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- Add the flour mixture to the liquid ingredients ⅓ at a time, alternating each time with coffee and milk until everything has been added to the same bowl. Stir in the apple cider vinegar.½ cup brewed coffee, ½ cup milk, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Vigorously whisk the batter by hand (or on medium-low speed if using a hand or stand mixer) for about 2 minutes. Cover the batter and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the cupcake wells, filling them up about ⅔ of the way. Bake for 22-25 minutes. The cake is done when it springs up when gently touched or if a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Blackberry Buttercream
- Add blackberries to a food processor and pulse until pureed. Press through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl; discard the seeds.1 cup blackberries
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, vanilla, and honey together. Start at a slow speed on your stand or hand mixer and then increase to medium-high speed until a whipped texture forms after about 1 minute.2 cups unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup raw honey
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and then gently fold the blackberry puree into the buttercream.
- Wait for the cupcakes to completely cool, frost, and enjoy!
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