Caramel is always seen as a difficult thing to make; only trained chefs or your grandmother know how to make it. However, that’s simply not the case. Caramel is finicky and delicious as any other sauce or reduction, but as you know, well worth the effort. Coffee on the other hand, is as easy to make as putting a pod into a machine these days. I may not have experience as a barista, but I know exactly how to make coffee that I love. I started drinking coffee at the young age of ten, when I would steal quick sips of my mother’s coffee drinks from Costco. The rumor that drinking coffee stunts your growth is highly untrue, let me tell you, as the next year I shot up six inches! I grew to absolutely love the smell of coffee and by the time I was in high school, I had my preferred blends and roasts. During times of disagreement with my parents I would go to open-late coffee shops and read as I sipped my only decaf of the day. I would frequent my favored coffee shops so often that the baristas all knew me by name and would simply ask, “The usual?” when I reached the counter.
These gluten free caramel latte cupcakes are rich. As in: I don’t know if I’d be able to eat more than one at a time (great for diets!). The cake base is a coffee sponge cake; you’ll be adding real coffee not just flavoring in this recipe so use your favorite! It has a great flavor that you can really taste the notes in the coffee, but not have it be overpowering. Then, to top it all off (see what I did there?) is the caramel buttercream. Now this isn’t throwing some bottled caramel sauce from the grocery store in the buttercream. No, this is making homemade caramel. This buttercream is even more buttery, but it is so good. After I finished frosting all the cupcakes, I wiped that bowl clean even before I washed it.
Now I don’t know how baking with coffee affects the caffeine; like how cooking or baking with alcohol burns off the alcohol. But I like to think that if I have more than one of these gluten free caramel latte cupcakes, the only thing I’ll be high on is sugar and not caffeine as well. If you’re not watching your sugar intake, go right ahead and have one of these for breakfast, it tastes better than a doughnut, I promise!
If you’re a coffee lover, try out our chocolate cupcakes with coffee buttercream or our chocolate coffee swiss roll. And if you love homemade caramel check out our millionaire shortbread!
Gluten Free Caramel Latte Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake pans
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Piping bag and tips (optional)
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 Cup brewed strong coffee room temp
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 Cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 Cup evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 Cup white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 Cups gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum (if your mix does not contain xanthan gum add 1 tsp now)
- 1/2 Cup almond meal/flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
For the caramel sauce:
- 1 Cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup salted butter cubed
- 1/4 Cup milk
For the caramel buttercream:
- Caramel sauce (above)
- 2 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- First, make your caramel sauce (this needs to cool before using it in the frosting). Combine all caramel sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook on low until sugar is fully dissolved. Bring heat up to medium and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until caramel reaches a rolling boil. Remove from heat and let cool fully (refrigerate for about 30 minutes). Caramel must be at least room temp or cooler or it will melt the buttercream.
- While caramel is cooling, make your cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line two 12-cupcake pans with paper cupcake cups. In a medium bowl, sift together all of the dry cupcake ingredients (flour, almond flour/meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar), and whisk to combine, then set aside. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (room temp coffee, espresso powder, vanilla, oil, eggs, and evaporated milk) until combined. Pour the whisked dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir together until smooth (do not over-mix). Spoon batter into the prepared cupcake pans – each cupcake should be about 3/4 full. Bake for 23-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
- While cupcakes are cooling, make your frosting. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, pour in your cooled caramel sauce and beat on medium. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and milk until fluffy and reaches your desired consistency. If the frosting is too loose, add more powdered sugar, or if it's too stiff, add more milk. Once frosting is ready, scoop into a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
