A perfect small batch of gluten free chocolate cupcakes topped with fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting to share with your beloved one(s)!
It’s almost Valentine’s Day! To tell you the truth, Valentine’s Day was never a big deal in my life until I met Chris, and even now we are very, low-key Valentine’s Day celebrators. My parent’s wedding anniversary is a week before V-Day so it always seemed more special than the chocolate box and red heart version of Valentine’s Day we see in movies, and as a kid Valentine’s Day wasn’t really a big thing in Australia. Now that I’m with Chris we are very practical romantics, but we always take a little time to enjoy Valentine’s Day in our own way. Usually that means pizza and British panel quiz shows. Maybe that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but hey, you do you on Valentine’s Day! 
One thing I love to do is bake a sweet treat to share with Chris after our pizza dinner. He loves chocolate maybe almost as much as I love chocolate, which makes decisions about flavour super easy! This small batch of gluten free cupcakes is perfect for the two of us. There are six deep, dark chocolate cupcakes frosted with fluffy chocolate buttercream. I could have scaled the recipe down to just two cupcakes, but I personally think that cupcakes-for-two need to come with back-up just in case one cupcake each isn’t enough! Leftovers also do well in the fridge for a few days and are perfect for packing in lunchboxes for a reminder of your love in the middle of a busy day. 
These cupcakes come together really quickly with one bowl, one measuring jug, and one spoon <- now that’s a recipe for happiness! They are deep, dark, moist and truly chocolaty, definitely straddling the line of bitter and sweet. The easy chocolate buttercream on top is the perfect sweet, light foil to the midnight cupcakes. Together they are the perfect team!
I have two secret ingredients in these gluten free chocolate cupcakes. Firstly, some measure and stir chocolate cupcakes use water and milk as liquid components. Here I have gone entirely with milk. Secondly, I only use the yolk of the egg. The milk and egg yolk both provide valuable fat to the batter, which keeps it moist and stops these cakes from drying out in the oven. The lovely rise comes entirely from baking soda and baking powder, so we have no need for the egg white. Sweet science! 
Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day, Gal-entine’s Day, or International Book Giving Day (guess which one I’m excited about!) this little batch of gluten free chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream is the perfect sweet treat for your occasion! Let me know in the comments how you celebrate on February 14th!
Small-Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
gluten free | makes 6 standard cupcakes | store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days bring to room temperature before eating for maximum flavour
Ingredients
- 20 grams hazelnut meal
- 20 grams buckwheat flour
- 20 grams white rice flour
- 20 grams cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon rice bran oil (or other flavourless vegetable oil)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup caster sugar
For the Frosting
- 50 grams softened butter
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Sprinkles to decorate, if desired
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Line 6 holes of a standard cupcake tin with papers.
- In a large bowl whisk together the hazelnut meal, buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, white rice flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until very well mixed.
- Mix together warm water and instant coffee and add to the bowl along with the egg, rice bran oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth and glossy, about two minutes.
- Spoon batter into cupcake papers. Fill only to halfway full to avoid your cupcakes spilling over.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Rotate trays from top to bottom halfway through baking time.
- Remove cupcakes from oven and cool completely before frosting and decorating as desired.
- To make the frosting place the butter in the bowl of a standmixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer) and beat until light in colour and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low until just incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat until lighter in colour and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Spread the cupcakes with the frosting and top with sprinkles if desired.
