Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

This has been adapted from a recipe in the Gluten Free Baking Classics cookbook and is my favorite recipe for chocolate cupcakes.  Gluten free cupcakes can be heavy and dense, but these cupcakes are light, moist and oh so chocolaty - just the way a cupcake should be!  I usually frost these with a chocolate butter cream frosting, but cream cheese frosting would be really yummy too.

Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup minus 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake papers or spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl sift together cocoa powder, gluten free flour mix, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthum gum. Set aside. Beat sugar and egg in a mixing bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add half of the sifted dry ingredients and the milk. Turn the mixer to low speed and stir until just combined. Add in the oil and the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix on low until combined. Scrap down the bowl then turn the mixer back up to medium speed and mix for 1 minute.

Fill cupcake pans 2/3 full. You should have just enough batter for 12 cupcakes. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean (mine were done in 20 minutes). Cool cupcakes completely before frosting with your favorite chocolate butter cream frosting (you'll need about 1 cup of frosting).

I usually freeze 6-8 of the cupcakes before frosting them. I store the frosting in the refrigerator and pull out a few cupcakes at a time to enjoy throughout the week. They thaw on the counter in about 30 minutes. Frost and enjoy! They taste just as good as the day you baked them.

If cake is more your style, you can bake the cupcake batter in a 9 inch round cake pan for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.  For my daughter's birthday I doubled the recipe and made a chocolate layer cake.  Everyone (gluten and gluten free eaters alike) loved it.