Strawberry Cupcakes

▢ 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour
▢ ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it)
▢ 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ cup buttermilk (or add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to milk to make buttermilk. Dairy-free use almond, cashew or coconut milk)
▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter (dairy-free use Earth Balance or Smart Balance butter)
▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
▢ 3 large eggs , room temperature
▢ 1 ½ cups strawberry puree

▢ 1 cup butter, softned dairy-free use Smart Balance butter
▢ ¼-1/2 cup strawberry puree (start with ¼ cup and add more if you want more strawberry flavor)
▢ ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
▢ ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
▢ 3 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F. Use cupcake liners or spray a with muffin pans with gluten-free cooking spray.
Remove the stems of the strawberries and cut the strawberries in half. Puree the strawberries in a food processor, immersion blender, etc.
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add the pure vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
Add one egg at a time to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
In a medium bowl add the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it), gluten-free baking powder and salt. Stir to combine the ingredients.
Add the gluten-free flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until fully combined.
Add the strawberry puree and the buttermilk to the cake batter. Mix until fully combined. (Add optional red food coloring if you want the cupcake batter pinker)
Scoop the cake batter into the lined muffin pans.
Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes. Please watch your cupcakes because all ovens are different. Use a toothpick to check and see if the centers are done.
Cool completely before frosting.

In a large bowl cream the butter using a stand-up mixer or hand a mixer. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next ingredients.
Add the strawberry puree, lemon juice and pure vanilla extract to the butter and mix until fully combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the powdered sugar. (Add optional red food coloring if you want the frosting pinker)
Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix until the frosting is firm.
If you want a firmer frosting, refrigerate the frosting for a few minutes before either piping or spreading on top of the cupcakes. I like to line a piping bag in a tall glass and then add the frosting. It sure is less messy. My favorite frosting tip is the Wilton 1M.
Cupcakes can be stored in an air-tight container, but keep the frosting refrigerated and frost cupcakes when ready to serve.

Wet Ingredients