Morning, noon, and night. Recipes. For love potion, for disaster. Or for, well, cupcakes fit for the food intolerant that are fit for everyone as well. I’ve done my fair share of gluten free & dairy free baking due to an affection for a few of those afflicted by allergies, celiac, or a tender conscience. It’s not common place, but I do it. Gladly, really. In the end it’s all just science, this chemical reacting with that and heat, heat, heat. And then you lick your fingers, leave crumbs. It’s all cake in the end. You’ll like these. They aren’t “good for gluten free vegan”. They’re just good.
When Tiffany & Kappel decided to come down for a visit we brain stormed on a friendly food for baking. No dairy, no gluten, no eggs between the two of them. At first I voted nougat, but damn eggs. I recalled some vegan cupcakes I’d baked for a bridal shower in a different life. We decided to make them our own with coconut oil, hemp seed milk, and lavender. I’d always wanted to whip coconut cream, so that was a simple solution for frosting. The vegan’s chantilly if you add agave instead of honey. But I went with honey.
Baking with Tiffany in my kitchen is quickly becoming one of my favorite past times. We listen to old Phil Spector recordings (The Cystals & Ronettes are favorites) and do the twist. No pretense. No boring, boring agendas. Just two chicks that really get a thrill out of baking stuff, standing on ladders, holding their breath, and photographing said baked goods. Match made in heaven.
I’m enjoying making a home of this Tennessee house while I’m here. I’ve been popping down to my favorite breakfast place/coffee shop The Farmer’s Daughter & Copacetic Coffee for my daily cortado. Taken yoga back up again. Gone to dinner with my mom, aunt, and sister-in-law. Really succeeded at being human these past few weeks. But all the while a road is winding in the back of my mind. Geometric airport light looms. Days alone stretch out before me. Foreign tongue & coin jangle. I like this home thing. But I fidget still for the adventure. I’m so happy I can have my (vegan, gluten free) cupcakes and eat them too.
To stay in the loop for upcoming adventures, click the “Retreats” link in the sidebar and go to “join” to get on the mailing list.
These cupcakes are gluten free, dairy free, vegan—you name it. Pretty much anyone can eat them. Omit the honey & substitute agave in the frosting to make the whole thing vegan. But whether your are dietary restricted or an unapologetic omnivore (such as myself), you will enjoy these cupcakes. The frosting is dangerously addictive, and if you don't tell people, I'm guessing they wouldn't even know that these are gluten & dairy free.
Ingredients
- 250 grams (2 cups) AP Gluten Free Flour (can sub regular flour, just omit the xanthan gum)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried lavender, ground to a powder
- 270 grams (1 1/3 cup) granulated cane sugar
- 60 grams (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 320 grams (1 1/3 cup) hemp seed milk (can sub coffee, water, almond or coconut milk), room temp
- (150 grams) 1/2 cup + 2.5 Tablespoons melted coconut oil, room temp
- 2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk
- 85 grams (1/4 cup) raw honey (sub agave, about 3 tablespoons, for honey to make it vegan)
Instructions
- The night before making these (or at least five hours prior) put the cans of coconut milk in the fridge. They need to chill completely for the frosting.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake papers. I lightly grease them with a propellent free, non-stick spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, lavender, sugar, and cocoa powder to combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine the hemp seed milk, coconut oil, vinegar, and vanilla. It's imperative that the milk not be cold, or the coconut oil will solidify. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon to thoroughly combine.
- Fill each cupcake tin with 1/3 cup batter, and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted comes out clean save a few clinging crumbs. It shouldn't be wet.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting or it will melt.
- While the cupcakes cool, make your frosting. Turn your chilled cans of coconut milk upside down and open them with a can opener. Pour out the liquid. Scrape the solids left into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy on high, add the honey or agave, and then whip to combine thoroughly. Alternately you can use an electric hand mixer.
- Frost the cupcakes with the whipped coconut and garnish with a few lavender buds if you like the taste of lavender, otherwise skip this as they can be strong. Now go forth and convert the doubters of gluten free, dairy free baking. Because these please everyone, not just the food intolerant. I would know, being a doubter myself. Enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from Chef Chloe's Chocolate Cupcakes
What would you advise if I wanted to make this as a cake? GF baking not my specialty, how would you rate the shelf life once frosted ?
I would rate it at 24 hours. But honestly, I’d frost it before serving if I could. And I have never tried this as a layer cake, so I can’t say if it will work. But I reckon it would if the baking time was adjusted. Cake’s cake.
I am so glad these are for everyone! They look delicious! D
This is lovely, Beth. The words, the recipe, the photography…together, it all makes a wonderful, wonderful peace, a peace that the eye and the soul are craving for. Bravo, Beth. 🙂
Finally one of your lovable recipe I can make, yeah! I’m not a chocolate lover, but I’m sure I’ll love these cupcakes ^_^
I thought every woman loved chocolate! At least that’s what I’m getting my wife my Valentine’s Day. Now she’s peering over my shoulder so the surprise is over and telling me actually these would be perfect for her sisters Baby shower as they are dairy-free and gluten free and would be ok for most peoples diets. And she’s telling me that they’re gorgeous (I mean, a guy can’t say that, right? Especially a gym who’s a gym teacher!) Really nicely done!
Can’t wait to try these–what’s your go to for gf flour?
I am so glad you make these recipes available to everyone and suggests alternatives that are in some cases even better than the real thing. Coconut frosting? Sounds amazing to me. Wel, I know what I’ll be making for my next dinner party. Thanks!
Marianne xx
So happy to see a sophisticated, creative and artful recipe for us intolerants. Been following you on Instagram and now bookmarked your website. Looking forward to trying these.
Thank you, Beth. I come for the words and stay for the food, always. Such a lovely recipe too. Anything with a bit of apple cider vinegar in it, sweet or savoury, is quite all right by me.
So beautiful. I love baked goods with lavender. It adds such a complex, special flavor. Coconut whipped cream is out of this world, so I can only imagine the combination.
Great cupcake flavor! The wooden table is cool too haha
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe, Beth! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Two of my favorites in the kitchen- what a beautiful post! Love the shots captured.
xx
Making IMMEDIATELY.
This sounds divine. I’m such a huge fan of lavender and the coconut cream sounds amazing!
Hi Beth!
These cupcakes look delicious!
Can’t wait to try them! 🙂
Where do you find all you nice bowls, pans, cups?
I live in switzerland and it’s really hard to find these type of kitchenware here!
Maybe you have somme website where I could order online?
Thanks!
Natacha
I’m in love with the whipped honey coconut cream frosting. Just beautiful.
These sound absolutely delectable and the photos are beautiful. Bookmarked and saved for my next baking adventure.
Rae | love from berlin
So much humility and wisdom as well as the beauty and delicious recipes. Keep it up!
These cupcakes look incredibly delicious, the combination of honey, coconut and lavender just sounds so good! I’m saving this to make on the weekend, thanks!
Tessa at Bramble & Thorn
I am so, so glad and so, so thankful that I have no food intolerances!! As good as these look and sound and I am certain, ARE, to bake them here in my lovely sunshiny corner of the world would be… well, I can’t even imagine! Some of those ingredients are not easy to come by, here. Sure, one can substitute them with other ingredients – so good to have the options here!! – but they are just so expensive, as far as my budget allows, that if I were suffering form food allergies or intolerances, I would never be able to indulge in certain things, I’m sure. It does agravate me a lot to see – I speak for what happens here at my country, only – that if one wants to try certain things, or enter a healthier lifestyle when it comes to food, it is nearly impossible. Unless you are rich, of course ;). JOking aside, it is true that things like seeds – be it quinoa, chia, sesame, sunflower, et all – are not easily affordable to the common person here at my country, the ones living on a very tight budget and a balancing act economically speaking, who end up forced to consume stuff they know is not all that good, but which happens to be all they can afford to buy… it saddens me, nearly as much as it is saddening me not being right on these photos gobbling cupcake after cupcake and stuffing my face with that whipped cream that looks like fluffy clouds made in heaven!! What a treat for the eyes, these photos are!! And lavender! I mean, I thrive on everything lavender!!!
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
These are too beautiful altogether, Beth. You sound like you’re having such a wonderful time. Here’s the bright days and lovely cupcakes for loved ones 🙂 Thanks for sharing
The lavender in these is just lovely!! Definitely need to try!
Stunning photography, and lovely words. I have always been wary of lavender in baking, but I really want to try it now. I think it will be difficult to find here in South Korea, but perhaps I’ll get my hands on it in England when I visit in the spring.
I will definitely try this recipe as I love lavender. My question is, and please forgive me for asking something as trivial as this, what is the name of that nail polish you have on? I LOVE IT!
Lavender cupcakes? Yes please! These cupcakes are so gorgeous and I can’t wait to whip up my own batch.
I love chocolate and lavender together, and I can imagine how beautifully they pair with coconut cream and honey. These look completely perfect and I’m in love with the photos.
As stunning as ever. Your photography is truly inspirational.
Chocolate and Lavender.. What a combination…
Sounds like you guys had a great time. Beautiful photography, inspiring as always.
Cheers!
Yay, cakes for those of us with a sensitive constitution that actually sound and look delicious, thank you for baking and sharing, I look forward to giving them a go.
This sound lovely and amazing. Question: will the coconut frosting stay solid at room temp or does it melt fairly easily?
Love this! What a beautiful post. Can I ask where Tiffany got her white top?
It’s from Anthropologie! 🙂
We love coconut cream frosting and use it often for allergy-friendly lemon cupcakes for our allergy-afflicted family members as well. These look stunning and I have a feeling lavender might go quite well with our combination as well. Thank you for sharing, stunning images.
Chocolate and lavender sounds like a really good combination.
Beautiful! Though I wish they were vanilla! I am allergic to chocolate. But Definitely one I can take a develop on.
I am gluten free and dairy free because of a skin issue, so I am very happy to see these cupcakes! They look absolutely beautiful.
I absolutely love the backdrop surface for all of your photos! Is that your actual counter top, or is it pieces of reclaimed wood that you laminated together? It’s amazing!
beautiful photos and I cannot wait to make these beautiful cupcakes!
These flavors sound delicious – what a fantastic recipe! We have a few gluten free + dairy free people on our team & this will make for an exciting weekend baking project 🙂
Wonderful photos.
I don’t know how you do it– your work and creativity are so inspiring. Can’t wait to try these.
And on another note, isn’t coconut whip the absolute best?
I’ve been home for the longest stretch of time that I can remember. Like you, in the back of my mind, I’m pulling out my passport and visually packing my bags when I’m not reveling in the everyday glory of the familiar: of dwelling with the one I love and fashioning a life that is enough to content my oft-wanderlust heart.
The photos are wonderful!! and the cupcakes look like they would bring smiles to the table. xo Catherine
Note to myself….. Buy a new camera this week.
Cheers Beth
Alan ( uk )
Hi Beth, just visited your portfolio page …… there is something wrong with the scroll function, I was not able to read all of the about text and also the pictures are cut at the bottom.
Have a nice week, Patricia
These look amazing and lavender pairs perfectly with chocolate so I imagine they taste as wonderful as they look.
Amazing recipe & beautiful photos. Makes my mouth water (:
Love your photography so inspirational!!! Everything is so perfect <3<3
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
I would never have thought to combine chocolate and lavender but it actually seems like it would work wonderfully together! These cupcakes look to die for :=)
These are amazing! I made them with AP flour and they came out perfectly. I added about 20 more grams of almond milk (almond + coconut + chocolate is one of my favourite combinations) because it seemed a bit dry at the end. Also, it took 23 minutes in the oven for mine to fully cook through, and there was a bit of overflow, but it was all perfect!
I halved the frosting recipe because 2 cans seemed a lot, and I still had a lot leftover, probably would have been fine with half a can of coconut milk and a tablespoon of honey, but it’s okay because it gives me an excuse to make another batch for friends 🙂
8) focused on thirteen patients with mild hypertension who were allowed to eat chocolate bars (either dark or white) daily for two weeks.
The next time that you find a shop assistant handing out a free chocolate your way, stop and think whether it is good for you.
Individuals who ate this sort of confections do not have
to be bothered about the other negative effects that caffeine can set off.
I love following your blog. Always delicious unique recipes like this and you have a beautiful voice.
These flavors sound delicious – what an amazing recipe! we’ve got many protein free, dairy farm people on our team & this may wreak AN exciting weekend baking project
so excited to make these. a beautiful cupcake for a gluten free gal like me. Beautiful, stunning photography as always! 🙂
Making these by request for my vegan daughter’s 17th birthday today… a little nervous about the frosting, because the ingredients say coconut MILK but in the description there is a reference to coconut CREAM, which I have used in the past for things like this. Wondering if the coconut MILK I have chilling is going to work, or if I should stop to buy coconut CREAM and get it right into the freezer to chill. Can anyone advise?
What I use to whip is full fat, canned coconut milk. Not the same as the stuff that comes in a box. Coconut cream is usually sweetened in my experience. I use this http://www.swansonvitamins.com/native-forest-unsweetened-organic-coconut-milk-classic-13-5-fl-oz-liquid?SourceCode=INTL405&CAWELAID=530002460000023779&catargetid=530002460000106240&cadevice=c&mkwid=w6WtMiLR&pcrid=67697600887&gclid=CjwKEAjw8oSoBRCss4qDrP3Y7yUSJACKumZ9IHyXfSiOP-jLwpcq-b0qoLty2yNnLUBUw9COtkqqcxoCos7w_wcB
Also, I’m wondering if I need to add the xanthan gum, which is $12.99, if my GF flour blend already contains it. Again, can anyone comment on this from experience, either with this recipe or others? If it really makes a difference, I’ll add it, but on the other hand, maybe too much is not a good thing?
I am a good cook but not a baker. This recipe seems so unique and perfect for my dairy-free and GF household. But a little complicated…tell me, can the beginner baker who sucks at following recipes make this easily?
Yes indeed. Just follow the instructions and use the measurements given and there’s no reason on earth it shouldn’t work.
hi there, these look so perfect. I’m thinking of doing them for my little girls 8th birthday. Is there a specific GF flour or blend you recommend. So far every one i’ve tried has been pretty disappointing (i haven’t tried any of them with this recipe yet!)
thanks so much 🙂