GF Mocha Cupcakes (aka: "The Steven")

Oh.  My.  Gawd.  Have I ever mentioned how oat flour is the best thing to ever happen to the GF world?  No grit, no falling apart, no "off" taste, and SO moist.  This is one of the best devils food cup cakes I've ever made, GF or not!

Even though this is a classic mocha style cup cake, I'm calling it "The Steven" for a couple reasons.  One, I made these yesterday for Steven because he was starting to buy Chips A'Hoy cookies since there have not been homemade chocolate goodies around for him to eat.  I can't have that.  Also, he loves this coffee/chocolate combo.  And, finally, I sent Steven to the grocery to get cup cake liners, and he came home with robot themed ones.  Yay.  

Before you rush off to make these, I want to get on a little soap box regarding creaming sugars and fats.  People, listen.  "Creaming" is a HUGE step when making baked goods from scratch.  Creaming does not mean simply combing the fat and sugar until they come together.  It goes beyond that.  You keep the mixer on until it changes color and texture.  It will become very light in color, very fluffy, and almost double in volume.  This step can take up to 5 minutes, or longer, of running your mixer.  This step is IMPERATIVE for a light and fluffy cake!  I can not stress that enough.  Here's a pretty good little video on proper creaming technique.

Now, on to the recipe.  I just slightly modified this recipe from "Gluten Free Mommy."  As you can see, she uses butter, and I use butter crisco.  Also, she uses rice flour, and I use oat flour in it's place.  I also increased the salt since I thought 1/4 tsp resulted in the cake being just a little flat in taste.  I also want to note that creaming 1.5 cups of sugar into just 1/2 cup of butter/crisco is quite a feat for that little bit of fat to handle.  Be patient, and continue to run your mixer.  It will come together.

Gluten Free Mocha Cupcakes

Devils Food Cake/Cupcake:

Dry Ingredients

• 3/4 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 3/4 tsp. xanthum gum
• 1.5 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter crisco (room temp) + 1 Tbs. water
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs (room temp.)
• 1.5 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/3 buttermilk--or--soured milk

Directions:

Pre-heat over to 350F.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.  Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

In another large bowl, or stand mixer, cream the crisco.  Slowly add the water and vanilla until it's one homogenous mixture.  Then, and sugar slowly to butter while mixer is running, and continue to beat at medium high speed until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Turn the mixer on low, and alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk both starting and finishing with the dry mixture.  Basically, you'll add your dry ingredients in three parts and the buttermilk in two parts.

Spoon mixture into muffin tins filling about 1/2 - 2/3rds full.  Bake in oven for about 15 minutes.  Completely cool on wire wracks, and then frost with cappuccino frosting or you frosting of choice.