Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 + ¼ cup gluten-free baking flour
- ½ cup almond flour made from almond pulp, dried*
- 1 tsp xanthan gum (if not already included in the gluten-free flour)
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup coconut oil (melted)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 sticks vegan butter, slightly softened
- 4 ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp almond milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp blue spirulina or butterfly pea powder (for blue appearance)
- pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, create buttermilk by combining almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine gluten-free flour, almond flour, xanthan gum (if needed), cocoa powder, cane sugar, light brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together.
- Add the buttermilk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine but do not overmix.
- Using a cookie scoop or measuring cup, evenly distribute the batter amongst 10 cupcake liners.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove cupcakes and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes cool, prepare buttercream frosting. Using a handheld mixer, cream the vegan butter on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes in a large bowl. Add one cup of sifted powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated. Repeat until all of the powdered sugar is used. Add almond milk, vanilla, salt, and blue spirulina powder. Mix on low speed. Once incorporated, increase speed to medium high and whip the buttercream until light and fluffy.
- Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe frosting swirls onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with sprinkles.
Note:
*To make almond flour: Create almond milk in the Almond Cow machine. Place the filter basket inside the collector cup for 5 minutes to drain any moisture. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove almond pulp from the filter basket and spread in a thin layer on the baking sheet. Place in the oven at 200 degrees F. Bake for 4 hours or until the pulp is dehydrated; the mixture should be dry and crumbly. Remove pulp from the oven and let it cool completely. Transfer the dried almond pulp to a food processor. Pulse until it reduces into a fine flour.
