Gluten Free Chocolate Cappuccino Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cupcake
• 4.5 oz. GF flour (2.5 oz. superfine brown rice flour, 1.5 oz. superfine white rice flour, 0.5 oz tapioca flour/starch)
• 3 oz. unsweetened cocoa
• 6 oz. white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso
• 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon Creme de Cacao
• 1 tablespoon Kahlua
• 4 oz. warm brewed coffee
• Ganache
• 1 cup heavy cream split into 1/2 cup portions, simmering
• 7 oz. mixed bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips
• 7 oz. white chocolate chopped (don’t use white chocolate chips – ick)
• 1 tablespoon Creme de Cacao
• 1 tablespoon Kahlua
• Decoration
• chocolate covered espresso beans

Instructions

Cupcake

1. Preheat oven to 350 and place cupcake liners in a muffin tin (12-14). Set aside.
2. Weigh the flour, cocoa, sugar into a large bowl and add the baking soda, salt and espresso powder. Whisk well to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, liqueurs and warm coffee to the cooled butter and mix with a fork to combine. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and using a wooden spoon or a mixer, combine and beat until the batter is smooth, shiny and no lumps remain. A trick that helps is to do that initial mix, let it sit for a minute or two and mix again. If there are any remaining lumps, that usually takes care of things. Scoop into the prepared cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Turn oven temperature to 325 and bake about 15-18 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. Don’t over bake or they will taste dry and icky. Cool for a few minutes and remove the cupcakes from the tin to a rack and cool thoroughly before frosting.

Ganache

1. Heat the cream until simmering. Meantime, chop chocolates and place each kind in its own heatproof bowl. Once the cream is simmering pour half over each chocolate in each bowl. Leave for a few minutes and then stir to help the softened chocolates melt and incorporate thoroughly. Don’t stir with vigor or you’ll get air in there and it won’t stay shiny. Let the ganache sit to thicken up slightly. Beginning with the cooled white chocolate ganache, whip on high until light and fluffy which will take just a minute or two. Scoop into a piping bag and set aside. Do the same for the darker chocolate, but add in the Kahlua and Creme de Cacao and mix on low to incorporate. Then whip on high until the mixture is light and fluffy. It will also lighten in color. Place in a piping bag. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Repeat with the white chocolate, but pipe smaller amounts. Think of milk foam on a dark cup of coffee like a cappuccino. Just a little is perfect. Top with a chocolate covered espresso bean. And eat. With your very own cup of coffee on the side. But not late at night.

Notes

white chocolate chips are great for eating but not melting. they get greasy and separate. learn my lesson – don’t do it. get a small bar of white chocolate instead.

Source: Gluten Free Canteen
http://glutenfreecanteen.com/2012/03/02/chocolate-cappuccino-cupcakes-gluten-free/#more-6310