Gluten Free Ginger and Molasses Cupcakes

I will give lots of little tips and insights into gluten free baking in my descriptions, so you can learn from my mistakes!

Here are the ingredients for delicious Gluten Free Ginger cupcakes. My baking powder was so excited he hopped in the picture, even though he is not actually in the recipe. Woops. One tip I have is go get real ginger root. It makes all the difference! Also, one guy who didn't make it into the picture, but played an integral role is.......Pepper! That's right, freshly ground black pepper. Don't ask why, just do it. Put it in. Trust me.

SIFT. Don't think you can get away without sifting. This is gluten free baking we are talking about. We don't take shortcuts here if we want to eat baked goods that don't taste like a brick. Please notice my box of Better Batter. Note: THIS IS THE ONLY GLUTEN FREE FLOUR YOU WILL EVER NEED TO BUY. That is all. I now have an entire pantry full of bags of Bob's Red Mill products that I may never use again. Since discovering Better Batter, I have never gone back to the whole xantham gum, gritty rice flour, nasty aftertaste nightmare. More about Better Batter later. I worship it.

Here is the minced ginger and sugar mixture getting nice and flavorful. By the time it is ready to add, it is almost a syrup. But let it sit awhile just like this until you are ready for it.

Cream the butter and brown and white sugar. Nice and fluffy, about 3 minutes.


I have already added the 3 eggs, one at a time at this point. It is time to add the ginger sugar. Mmmmm, the aroma is already delicious!

The molasses comes next. Slowly add while mixing. This gives the cupcakes that rich, dark color.
Then, in 3rds, mix in the dry ingredients.

Milk comes next, slowly.
Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese into the batter. I don't like over-mixing. (Back to the brick thing). The batter will be a little lumpy with cream cheese. It leaves delicious little cream cheese pockets in the baked cupcakes that are scrumptious.


Fill those cupcake liners about 3/4ths full and pop in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean!
For the "drizzle", mix cream and powdered sugar to get a good consistency for drizzling.

Ta Daaaaaaa! I am telling you, these do not taste gluten free. No, they don't puff up like their gluten-filled cousins, but those days are gone-get over it. You won't miss it. Whoever said you had to give up comfort food when you go gluten free? The secret is BETTER BATTER. That's all you need to whip up your favorite family recipes. It is a one for one exchange in any recipe. More recipes to come....Enjoy!

***By the way, the best place to look for Better Batter is online. Amazon.com, just google it, there are a ton of retailers.

Ginger Molasses Cupcakes

2 T fresh ginger-diced

1 T sugar

2 cups Better Batter (Or GF all purpose baking flour)

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. salt

2 t. ground ginger

3/4 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

3 lg. eggs

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup milk

3 oz. cream cheese

Drizzle

powdered sugar

whipping cream

Directions: 350 for 15-20 min.

1. Combine Tablespoon of sugar and minced ginger and set aside.

2 Sift together dry ingredients

3. In electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars

4. Add eggs one at a time

5. Add molasses

6. Add sugared ginger

7. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients

8. Add milk slowly while mixing

9. Add rest of dry ingredients

10. Add cream cheese in small drops

11. Mix until just combined

Drop into cupcake liners and fill to 3/4 full. Bake.

While baking, mix up your "drizzle" by adding enough cream and sugar to get a nice consistency for swirling on the tops of the cupcakes. I try to wait for them to cool a little before hitting them with the drizzle so it doesn't run off. Try. What I usually end up with is a lot of frosting on the counter, not much on the cupcakes. This time I waited. And look how pretty.

Enjoy! And thank you Gluten Girl and Chef for the basis of this recipe. I changed the flour to Better Batter, since I am a disciple.