Gluten Free Strawberries & Cream Cupcakes
After my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac several months ago, I resigned myself to a life without (or with very little) homemade desserts (no birthday cakes, cookies, or special impromptu baking adventures with my daughter). If you know me at all, then you know how much I love, love, love to bake sweets...and refined white flour is my favorite (bad, I know). So for this carb + sweets loving gal it has been a tough change to take (and certainly not easy on my daughter either).
But now my dears, my frown has been turned upside down with the discovery of Simply Gluten-Free (found via Cassie on pinterest). The author, Carol, creates and sells her very own gluten free flour...and with a satisfaction guarantee I just couldn't pass it up. A week later (this past Saturday) my flour arrived and I quickly whipped up a batch of Carol's Strawberries & Cream Cupcakes (she included the recipe in the box with the flour, but their are a bunch of other tasty looking recipes on her site too).
I have to admit that I was pretty nervous about how they would turn out (a lot of hope was riding on these babies). So I'm delighted to report that the resulting cupcakes were super yummy and far more tasty than any gluten free variety (cupcake or other baked goody) I've ever tried. So good in fact, that I had 3 on the first day (shhh).
So did they taste like 100% traditional flour cupcakes?...not exactly...but it was not a bad difference at all. If anything I'd say that the flavor is spot-on, with an oh-so-slight graininess that gives these treats a little bit of a muffin-y vibe (again, not a bad thing). Update: the flavor is best on the first day...they seem to dry out rather quickly (but this can be easily remedied by even more cream topping or some freshly macerated strawberries).
To be honest, I can hardly stomach most gluten-free baked goods. In fact a common refrain of exasperation you'll hear around our house as we try to sample yet another disappointing excuse for a dessert is: "Do they just think that people with Celiac also have no tastebuds? Ick!" But this new flour mix is definitely a keeper in our kitchen, and I cannot wait to start trying out all the desserts that I'd thought I'd never get to make again (like these for instance). Oh yum! xo Ez
Just in case you were curious...the little bowls I used in these shots are Mini Latte Bowls from Anthropologie. The cupcakes were not baked inside them, just placed in after baking. The fork is from the Orleans Flatware Set made my Kikkerland (I couldn't find any white ones online anymore, but there are some clear ones available here).
All photos by me - Ez Pudewa
Food / Recipes | Tuesday, April 12, 2011 
Reader Comments (35)
The lokk absolutely delicious and are so beautiful. They are the most beautiful cupcakes I have ever seen. Great photos as usual!
Love so much the mini bowls too!
I have been dealing with gluten free for many years. There are many products out there today, you just have to keep up the tasting, and it gets easier. Bob's Red Mill products are good sources.
These look DELICIOUS! And the photos are great!
Plus I love the bowl, the flatware, the napkin...
Great idea using those latte bowls for the cupcakes- super cute! Lovely photos- gluten free never looked so good!
They look so cute in those mini latte bowls. Just another reason I should get some ;) We have so many gf folks in our family. I still have yet to say out loud that I have a problem...I'm in denial.
Bette Hagman is the goddess of gluten-free cooking.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805078088/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0805064842&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RKPC5K9H0YA3XBXAQ4R
The lighting's impeccable. Love the soft pastel yet saturated shades.
Oh, I feel your pain. I was being tested for gluten allergy for a while when I was a teenager, it was awful. My refuge was caramel Snack-a-Jacks. Those cupcakes look so yummy!
Your pictures are so lovely!
Yum's the word! The photos are beautiful and the cupcakes look scrumptious. I'm so happy you found a sweet, gluten-free recipe for your daughter.
Yum! Thanks for the GF recommendation. Oh, and the photos are stunning!
wow. thanks so much for posting this! i will definitely give it a try
Yum! Always searching for GF recipes...good baked goods are hard to find! I wiill definitely have to try this!
To help with your search, as far as baked goods go, these choc chip cookies are incredible. really. http://glutenfreelicio.us/2010/12/30/best-chocolate-chip-cookies-ever/
My son was diagnosed a few years back and it has been a challenge to find food with taste! If you lived in Australia, I could give you some great places to get all sorts of gluten free treats! I know that there is a "bake at home" bread range that comes from Europe and is usually stocked in organic food shops. When I remember the name, I will send it through. The bread tastes fantastic - just like "normal" bread you would eat yourself! Most macarons are gluten free also, as is nougat.
Great pictures - I wish there was an Anthropologie in Australia!
Hope you are having a great week,
Stephie x
Sad to hear that it's all so difficult to find for you. It kind of sound like a surprise because I thought gluten free was totally rocking in options.
Well, we, a group of bloggers from non-wheat-producers-countries do a lot of wheat free recipes (i.e. gluten free) just because wheat is imported grains and it is so expensive and its prices have been causing food crisis around the globe.
Our suggestions to you: Cakes and cookies made with polenta flour, extra fine corn flour, delicious. Traditional in many Latin countries Both cakes and cookies result beautifully and delicious. You can use also coconut milk or orange juice to avoid dairy.
My favorite chocolate cake is so called Valentino chocolate cake which is flourless. It is just the best and you can add loads of fruits or flavors to it....
+ my favorite bread is cheese popover, a trad Brazilian cheese bread which is made with manioc/cassava starch and is so good. You can also use manioc/cassava/tapioca flour for cookies and cakes it makes just perfect meltaways. No need of gluten flours.
Finally, I grew up eating a delicious salty crunch cookie/biscuit/snack which is baked and is made also with sour manioc starch. You can add cheese, paprika, curry, pepper whatever you wish to it and it is the most amazing and healthy snack because it is baked and sounds and tastes like those delicious fatty/junk snacks. We eat them on the beaches of Rio.. I wish I could made them fr you girl.
Here is the link to this very recipe, have a look and tell me if you would like some personal translation
http://saborsaudade.blogspot.com/2010/11/biscoito-de-polvilho-azedo-porque-amido.html
Claudia
Oh! I feel your pain, baking was "MY THING" and then got diagnosed ARGH! But I was so ill before hand that I will survive. It took me a LONG time to get things back to where I wanted. I rely on Pamela's flour,hands down the lightest flour around, I can sub it regular recipes (ie blondies) Makes THE best pancakes. Also, stick with dense baked goods, learn to love a brownie. Then I try recipes that are flourless in the first place, hello macaroons! Hang in there!
These look amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Flourless Chocolate Cake - bake as brownies or cupcakes, it is the best!
Meringue cookies are good too and you can add all kinds of flavors.
And a quick and easy PB cookie - 1 C PB, 1 Egg, 1 C Sugar. That's it!
these look so wonderful! and thank you for the link to Simply Gluten-Free. i'm sure you know all about Gluten Free Girl, and Cannelle et Vanille but thought i'd point them out for you and your daughter just in case. xo
Well, I was just about to share about Pamela's baking mix, but someone beat me to it!
I don't know if you have Meijer in your area, but that's where my friends have had the best luck with gluten free products here.
p.s. I love your flatware! We have a similar oneida set, call azalea, but it's in silver and I'm kind of wishing it was white now!
The cupcakes look delicious! Those bowls are adorable too.
Have you heard of Babycakes? They just came out with a new cookbook this week and everything looks so good! I'm neither vegan nor gluten intolerant but I'm itching to try out a few of the recipes. It's called Babycakes Covers the Classics. I've had their donuts at their bakery in downtown LA and can vouch that they are absolutely delicious.
Oh gosh! You guys are absolutely the BEST! Thank you for all your lovely comments and helpful tips on gluten free goods for me to try. Hugs all around! xo Ez
I can't decide which looks more beautiful...the cupcakes or your photos, Ez! My oldest daughter has Celiac Disease, too, so we'll have to give these a try. :)
Ez I love your photos, just love it!
:)
yes, that white flatware could possibly be the coolest thing i've ever seen. . . what is it made out of?
OMG, this is so good. My family will surely love this stuff. I'm just kinda worried with its calorie content though.
Have you been to this site? http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
My son is gluten free (and dairy and soy free) and I love her recipes!
Hi! I included this post in this weeks from my reader round-up. Loved the post and thought it would be super useful to my friends and readers. Ez, I can't follow you enough! I just stumbled across your boards at pininterest also. Love your site and I have already sent this post to three friends of mine.