Happy March!  Can you believe we’re almost half-way through March?  2012 is flying by!  One of my favorite parts of March is St. Patrick’s Day.  It isn’t because I drink a lot, or plan to go hang out to an Irish pub.  In fact, I have been trying to drink less beer since going gluten free and lately I’ve actually been grain free (or primal).  The real reason I really love this Irish holiday is for the corned beef and cabbage.  My mom makes the best corned beef and cabbage.  A little stone ground mustard on top and I am the happiest woman in the world.

Now I may be satisfied with a delicious dinner, however my husband is a lover of beer (and cupcakes).  I have been wanting to marry the two loves together into one delicious dessert for quite some time.  However I didn’t stumble across the right recipe until I found Chlef Chloe.  She was actually the first vegan baker to ever win Cupcake Wars.  I made a few tweaks to her recipe in order to make it gluten free and it was already dairy free(aside from my grass fed butter substitute) and egg free.  Needless to say, he was quite satisfied.  Here is the beer I used.  I found it at Spec’s, I’m sure BevMo has it as well.  As always, please make sure all your ingredients are gluten free (powdered sugar, coco powder, etc) if you are gluten intolerant.

I hope the luck of the Irish is with you next Sunday!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Gluten Free Chocolate Stout Cupcake with Whiskey Buttercream
adapted from: Chef Chloe
  • 1/2 cup sorghum flour
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup gluten free stout beer
  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) grass-fed salted butter
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons almond milk (more if needed)
  • 3 teaspoons Irish whiskey (more if desired)
  • green sprinkles, for garnish
Cooking Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with desired liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, cocoa, xanthan gum, and baking soda. In a smaller bowl, whisk together stout, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.

Divide batter among cupcakes and bake for 12-18 minutes. Until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (For me this was 18 minutes). Turn cupcakes onto wire rack and cool completely.

Prepare the frosting my using a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the butter and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add in your powdered sugar, alternating with almond milk. Continue to mix until frosting is light and fluffy. Once it is almost set, add in whiskey and mix to blend together. Taste and add more whiskey if desired. Frost cupcakes and garnish with green sprinkles. Enjoy!