Gluten Free Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

There is nothing quite like chocolate. The sensory flourish that envelopes you when taking a bite of chocolate ice cream, or the incredible nuance of the unfolding flavor in a snap of a thin dark chocolate bar. Or the other-worldly dreaminess of a truffle. If you’re already nodding in agreement, check out these other recipes too in addition to making these gluten free chocolate truffle cupcakes! Our German Chocolate cupcakes, or jammy strawberry brownies, or coffee chocolate cupcakes, or this criminally-easy magic chocolate pudding cake. Chocolate is a favorite of nearly everyone in my family – but perhaps most-notable is my Grandma Avis’s penchant for keeping cupboards and freezers well-stocked with the dark, velvety notes of milk and bittersweet bars, almond bark, and ice cream. Grandma Avis was a true, life-long-lover of chocolate, and even the mention of that favorite treat would invite her tell-tale chuckle-giggle, as if she delighted, even in her 80s and 90s, in the slightly-naughty indulgence.

Related to her immediate focus every time you even mentioned chocolate, she had a knack for always reacting honestly and with her full-fledged-emotional-attention to everything you told her – it was a particular gift that lent a sense of importance and connectedness to every conversation you had with her. Whether you were telling her about your upcoming school trip, or a new chocolate-centric recipe you tried (and brought her a piece of whatever it was, of course), or a certain boy you were eyeing (the latter of which she absolutely loved to teasingly pull more information about from you), she always made sure your story was the star of the moment. People were so important to her. Even though she was wonderfully independent and found her own impressive career and way in life, it always seemed like the small moments were her most cherished: playing piano and singing “Country Roads” as loud as we could just like we were back with her in her childhood church were her father acted as preacher; sharing commentary on games that either of the Williams sisters were playing (her two favorite tennis stars), catching up on family stories at the Thanksgiving table or at her cousin-packed birthday parties, or singing yet more folk songs around the campfire at family reunions. Even just quietly sharing her sometimes jaw-dropping childhood stories (only when prompted especially in the later years) of her saving the family one night with there was a fire in the house, or starting a non-profit called GOO (Get Oil Out) in Santa Barbara after a nasty oil spill (a few years before she passed, I found GOO’s website still going strong and showed it to her to prove that her small action decades ago was still making a difference). She accomplished so much, but always wanted to hear about you, your stories, and your concerns.

We lost Grandma Avis two years ago and it seems particularly fitting that these triple chocolate cupcakes be dedicated to her. I would have been so excited to take her one of these, tucked carefully in a tupperware, fork in hand, and watch her eyes widen as I told her that it wasn’t just any chocolate cupcake, it had a TRUFFLE inside! Oh, the chocolate glee that would have ensued. She would insist on finishing the whole thing right there, too. The clean-plate club was invented by my Grandma Avis and it especially pertained to chocolate-laden ones. In lieu of her getting to sample this new chocolate recipe, this goes out to her and to all of you other chocolate-lovers, in hopes that it might inspire baking and nostalgia, that bittersweet note that follows so many truly good things in life, including chocolate.

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

The definition of decadence: dark chocolate cupcake, topped with luxurious dark chocolate buttercream, with a chocolate truffle inside!

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Cooling time15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: buttercream, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate truffles, cupcakes, dark chocolate, double chocolate, truffles

Servings: 24 Cupcakes

Calories: 350kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Cupcake pans
• Small saucepan

Ingredients

For the truffles:

• 2/3 Cup creme fraiche
• 2 Cups high quality chocolate chopped, I use a mix of milk and dark (Valrhona, Guittard, Callebaut, Scharffen Berger are all great options)
• 2 Tbsp salted butter softened
• 2/3 Cup good quality cocoa powder for rolling (optional)

For the cupcakes:

• 2 Cups gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum included (if the mix doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 tsp of xanthann gum)
• 1 3/4 Cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 Cup good quality cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 3/4 Cup canola oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Cup piping hot coffee

For the buttercream:

• 2 Cups salted butter room temperature
• 2 Cups powdered sugar
• 1 Cup good quality cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• First, make the truffles. These will take a couple of hours to chill in the fridge so make them first. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the crème fraîche to a boil, whisking constantly. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat immediately and add in the chopped chocolate. Stir the mixture with a spatula until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is homogeneous. Add the butter and continue to stir until fully combined and glossy. Pour the truffle mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2+ hours or until completely set.
• Then, roll the truffles. Remove the bowl from fridge to warm slightly for 5-10 minutes. Line a baking sheet or plate/tray with parchment paper and set aside. Using a melon baller or a small spoon, scoop out and roll 1-inch chocolate truffles with your hands (working quickly so that chocolate doesn't melt). Place on tray and pop in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up again. Then toss truffles cocoa powder to coat (this step is optional!). Then set aside while you make the cupcakes.
• Make the cupcakes! Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease two 12-cupcake pans with either butter or cooking spray, or line with paper cupcake cups. In a medium bowl, sift together all of the dry cupcake ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt), and whisk to combine.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, canola oil, and vanilla extract until fully blended and creamy. Once combined, add in the dry ingredients and use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix. Fun step! Poor in that cup of piping hot coffee and stir until fully combined (it’ll take some working). Pour batter into the cupcake pans (each one should be about 2/3-3/4 full) and bake for 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.
• While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream! In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the room temp butter until creamy. Add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat on low until combined. Then add in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt and continue to beat on medium high until fully smooth, and combined. Either use a spatula to spoon the frosting into a piping bag or simply frost each cupcake using a spoon or knife – however fancy you want to get.
• Before frosting, and once the cupcakes are cool, use a small paring knife to cut a 1×1 inch square in the top of each cupcake and take that chunk of cake out (should be a small cube). In the hole, add one of the prepared truffles and press down slightly (don't worry about it looking great, it'll be covered in frosting!). Once all cupcakes have been filled with truffles, frost them with a piping bag or a butter knife, then serve!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber