Moist and Fluffy Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes (2024)

Learn how to make the best gluten-free vanilla cupcakes with this quick and easy recipe! I’ve created the ideal ingredient ratios for a soft, fluffy crumb, yet moist with a rich creamy vanilla flavor. These homemade cupcakes are ideal for birthdays and celebrations because with such a superb taste, no one knows they are GF!

(Seriously!) best recipe for gluten free cupcakes

Since this popular gluten free white layer cake has yielded so many rave reviews, it seemed like a great opportunity to turn them into supremely (and equally) moist, fluffy GF vanilla cupcakes. I’m all about seizing great opportunities.

If you have been disappointed by dry, crumbly gluten-free cupcake recipes, I want you to know you don’t have to settle for subpar results. I have over 15 years experience baking and perfecting a complete gluten-free dessert collection. Luckily the tricks aren’t hard, you just have to be in the know.

What’s my top tip when making homemade cupcakes? Don’t just swap out gluten-free all purpose flour for a traditional recipe. You will technically get a cupcake, but it won’t be a fantastically creamy vanilla cupcake with a moist, airy crumb. (That sounds so much better, doesn’t it??)

GF starches don’t play nicely with liquids, which is why a lot of gluten-free cupcake recipes are either dense and gummy or dry and crumbly. The trick is to use the ideal ratio of wet ingredients to dry, which saturates the starches, without weighing them down. This is a completely different ratio for wheat flour, hence the disappointing results!

Melted butter also helps with coating gluten-free flour, eliminating any grittiness and adding a rich, buttery flavor. Creamed butter doesn’t pull this off as well, which is why my go-to soft and chewy homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies also uses this hack.

If you are taking notes, we are going to be great friends, because I love this stuff too! I have one more easy tip to make superb cupcakes using gluten-free flour. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes before baking. This is a little extra insurance to make sure the dry and wet and really getting along and prevents your cupcakes from falling after cooling.

See, none of that was hard, was it? Now let’s make some out of this word vanilla cupcakes, shall we?

how to make gluten-free vanilla cupcakes

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Whisk wet ingredients

First let the egg whites and milk sit out to come to room temp. Once the melted butter has cooled, whisk it all together with the vanilla extract.

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Combine dry ingredients

In a larger bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I usually do this in my stand mixer using a paddle attachment. Easy enough, right?

Mix It Together

Now pouralmostall the wet ingredients into the dry, holding back about 1/2 cup. Beat to combine, then mix for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the remaining liquid and beat it for 1 minute longer. That was the hardest part. Phew 😅

Pour, wait, and bake

Divide the batter between the lined cupcake liners, but be sure to not fill more than ⅔ full, especially if you want to have even tops for frosting. If you like more of a domed top, you can go up to ¾ full, but you will have less cupcakes. Tough decision, I know. For best results, let the cupcakes sit before baking. This will help them not deflate after they cool Bake for 18-20 minutes, cool on a wire rack and then smother in frosting!

baking with gluten free flour

Fortunately, there are some great gluten free flours on the market. However, they all contain a different mixture and combination of starches, which yields inconsistent results.

I’ve foundCup4Cup gluten free flourto perform superbly in all types of gluten-free baking, so that is my number one recommended brand. If you are wondering how other brands compare, check out thebest gluten free flour blend to see all the results.

When measuring GF flour, gently spoon the flour from the bag into the cup and level off with a knife. Since the weights of blends vary, I’ve also included measurement weights. Hope this helps!

which vanilla extract to use

Buying vanilla, especially quality vanilla extract, can cause some sticker shock. So, you may be wondering if it is really worth it?

I keep three types of vanilla stocked in my kitchen at all times. When making baked goods that simply need a bit of flavor enhancement, such as in pancakes, cookies, or chocolate desserts, I reach for an inexpensive (yet highly rated) imitation vanilla flavoring.

Use a more intense, quality extract when desserts don’t have multiple flavors competing with the vanilla, such as in frostings, cheesecake, custards, puddings, and vanilla cake.

At minimum use pure vanilla extract, but if you really want a vanilla bean flavor to shine through use vanilla bean paste in the same amount as you would use extract.

best frostings for cupcakes

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, it’s time to bring your own unique twist with frosting and decorations! For bakery-style cupcakes, transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large open tip.

If adding sprinkles (make sure to read labels for gluten-free!), sprinkle immediately after frosting or they will not stick once the frosting has set.

• Fluffiest Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
• Cream cheese frosting
• Lemon buttercream
• Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (stabilized for piping)
• Coconut frosting
• Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream

Pro technique for filling cupcakes

The key when portioning out cupcake batter is tonot overfill the tins. Unlike muffins, which rise quickly to have domed tops, you’ll want your cupcakes to be as even and uniform as possible for frosting.

Therefore, Irecommend filling the cups to two-thirds full,and no more!If you still have batter leftover, use an additional muffin pan.

Also,use a tool to distribute the same amount of batterinto each cup. I use a triggerice cream scoopbecause it gets the job done quickly and cleanly, but you may also use a 1/4 measuring cup.

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