Apple Cider Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting ~ Gluten-Free
Jump to RecipeOh my gosh! These Cupcakes are out of this world!!! I seriously could eat the entire batch 🙂 The Apple Cider adds a wonderful flavor and a bit of caramelized texture - they are delicious even without the frosting! You better double the batch like I did 😉
This recipe earned an instant 5-Star rating in our home!
Note: I adapted this wonderful recipe from forkinthekitchen.com to make it GF - Thank You for sharing!!!
Ingredients
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
- Cupcake Liners
- Stand or handheld Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl
The Cupcake Ingredients:
- 2 ½ Cups Better Batter All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Mix
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder, GF
- 1 tsp Table Salt
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar I use Dixie Crystal brand
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 Cup Salted Butter, Softened I use Land O' Lakes brand
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 4 Large Eggs room temperature
- 1 Cup + 4 Tbsp Apple Cider
The Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- 8 Oz. Cream Cheese, softened I used Full Fat Philadelphia brand
- ¼ Cup Salted Butter, Softened
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tbsp Apple Cider
- 3 ½ - 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon (optional - to either mix in with the frosting or to sprinkle on the top)
Instructions
Making the Cupcakes:
- Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line 1-2 muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the GF Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt and Cinnamon until completely blended; Set aside.
- Using a Stand or Handheld Mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the Butter and Sugars until light and fluffy.
- Next, with the mixer set on low, add the Vanilla Extract and the Eggs, one at a time; Continue mixing until thoroughly blended.
- With the mixer still set on Low, alternate adding the GF Flour mixture (1/2 cup at a time) and the Apple Cider (a couple of Tablespoons at a time) to the Butter-Sugar mixture, blending until just combined after each addition.
- Scoop the Cupcake Batter into the lined muffin tin/tins, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake for approximately 17-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Making the Frosting:
- Using a Stand or Handheld Mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened Cream Cheese and Butter until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the Vanilla Extract and Apple Cider, blending thoroughly.
- Next, with the mixer set on low, add the Powdered Sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well between each addition. I usually add between 3 1/2 to 4 cups of Powdered Sugar for the right consistency. Note: If you're adding Ground Cinnamon into the Frosting, do so now (I usually add several pinches).
- Spread or pipe the Frosting onto each cooled cupcake and top with a little Ground Cinnamon, if desired.
- Enjoy!
