Alright, who else has had spumoni ice cream before? I have this magical, hazy memory of getting it once (maybe I got it every time we went – who knows at this point) at Antonio’s – one of the three restaurants in “downtown” Eagle Point where we grew up. Eagle Point was a town of 5,000 when we moved there in 1998, though as a 5 year old the sense that it was the town the size of a pinhead didn’t really register (and Kendra was 2 so she definitely didn’t have a clue at the time). The downtown consisted of one street. Not like a city street that stretches in a grid for two miles from side to side – this street could have fit on 1.5 city blocks, and had a handful of tiny family-run businesses and restaurants. There was a pet shop that was so dark and humid it could have easily been a front for an actual underground laundering business (of clothes, not money), a gas station, a library (where our mom worked), the school district office (where we protested the shitty contracts the old white boys club tossed out to teachers like my dad), and three restaurants. They were kind of the perfect trio: a tiny little diner that had burgers, fries, and the BEST and BIGGEST milkshakes EVER (man were they fun as a kid – chocolate, marshmallow, banana, strawberry, butterscotch, the classics, and you could MIX them – it didn’t get better than that); a Chinese restaurant that still had a smoking section when we first started going there and getting our favorites as kids: beef and broccoli and the slightly-sweet sliced pork to dip in sauce and sesame seeds; and Antonio’s – the Italian. Antonio’s had fake wine bottles with fake flowers in them, and murals of Italy on the walls, and checkered table cloths. They also had bomb chicken and eggplant parmesan and pasta (this was years before the Celiac diagnosis). And at least one, spumoni ice cream for dessert. Which leads us to these cupcakes.
Spumoni! A fun Italian word AND a brilliant flavor trio that deserves a come back in the dessert industry. I remember being thrilled with the three clashing colors – pink, green, brown, and the flavors melting together in one slurry of cherry, pistachio, and chocolate. You like Neapolitan? You’ll LOVE spumoni. I always thought I didn’t like maraschino cherries, but here I am at 28, buying a jar bigger than my head filled with these bright red candied fruits and making these absolutely incredible cupcakes. Next up: recipes that will use up the remaining 5,273 maraschino cherries I find myself in possession of. But at least I have these cupcakes. I’d eat each of the buttercreams on their own with a spoon, they’re so good. Especially the cherry and the pistachio (though who doesn’t love a good, silky, deeply-satisfying milk chocolate buttercream?). So have some fun – they look complicated but I promise it’s just a lot of layering and the actual recipes are pretty straight forward (mix everything up in one bowl!).
Missing a few ingredients? So were we – here’s a link to the pistachio paste (totally fine to use store-bought – it saves a TON of time!!), and cherry extract (couldn’t find it in any stores locally). (those are affiliate links so if you use them, it gives us a tiny commission which helps keep us afloat – we appreciate anyone who does!!).
If you’re into these retro, gloriously fun cupcakes, check out our perfect pair to spumoni: Neapolitan cupcakes! Or even this Neapolitan pound cake! Or this floofy pineapple cake with tons of whipped cream and more maraschino cherries, or these piña colada cupcakes, or these orange creamsicle cupcakes, or this floofy angel food cake!
Gluten Free Spumoni Cupcakes
Equipment
- Two 12-cup Cupcake pans
- Cupcake paper liners
- Electric mixer
- Piping bags and tips
Ingredients
For the cherry cake layer:
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 Cup canola oil
- 1/4 Cup sour cream
- 1/4 Cup juice from maraschino cherry jar
- 1/4 Cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
- 1/3 Cup white sugar
- 2/3 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)
- 1/2 Cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cherry extract
- 2-3 drops red food coloring optional
For the pistachio cake layer:
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 Cup canola oil
- 1/3 Cup sour cream
- 1/4 Cup milk
- 1/3 Cup white sugar
- 3 Tbsp pistachio paste link below
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)
- 1/2 Cup finely ground raw unsalted pistachios should feel like flour (no chunks)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- green food coloring optional
For the chocolate cake layer:
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 Cup sour cream
- 1/4 Cup canola oil
- 2/3 Cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)
- 1/4 Cup dutched cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup hot coffee
For the chocolate buttercream:
- 1 1/2 Cup salted butter room temperature
- 2/3 Cup regular cocoa powder
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the pistachio buttercream:
- 1 1/2 Cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 Cup pistachio paste link below
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup finely ground raw unsalted pistachios
- green food coloring optional
For the cherry buttercream:
- 1 1/2 Cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 Cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2-1 tsp cherry extract
Decoration:
- 24 maraschino cherries optional
Instructions
- First, make your cupcakes! Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line two 12-cupcake pans with paper cupcake cups. First, make your three cupcake batters in three separate bowls. In the cherry batter bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, sour cream, sugar, maraschino cherry juice and chopped cherries, and cherry extract, then add in the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and food coloring (optional) and whisk to combine. Spoon about a tablespoon of the batter into the bottom of each of the cupcake cups.
- Then make the pistachio cake batter. Whisk the egg, oil, sour cream, sugar, milk, pistachio paste and vanilla until combined. Add in the flour, almond flour, finely ground pistachios, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until smooth, then spoon this layer by tablespoon on top of the strawberry layer in each cupcake cup.
- Then make the chocolate batter! Whisk together the egg, sour cream, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder and whisk until combined. Finally, add in the hot coffee and stir until glossy and smooth. Spoon this final layer on top of the vanilla layer and then bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely until frosting.
- While cupcakes are cooling, make the frostings! First, the chocolate frosting: in a medium bowl, using the electric mixer, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes on its own, then add powdered sugar (1 cup at a time), cocoa powder, salt and vanilla until smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too stiff, add a Tablespoon or two of cream, then beat to combine – it should be easily-pipeable (add more cream if not). Scoop the frosting into a large piping bag with your choice of piping tip, then clean the bowl and beaters.
- Then, make the pistachio frosting: in the clean bowl, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes on its own, then add the powdered sugar (1 cup at a time), pistachio paste and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Then add the finely ground pistachios, salt, and food coloring (optional) and beat until smooth. Add a tablespoon of heavy cream if the frosting is too stiff. Scoop this frosting into a second piping bag and then clean the bowl and beaters again for the cherry frosting.
- Make the final cherry frosting: beat the butter for 1-2 minutes on its own, then add the powdered sugar (1 cup at a time), and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add in the chopped maraschino cherries and cherry extract and salt and beat until combined and smooth. If you'd like a brighter pink color, add a few drops of pink or red food coloring and beat until combined. Add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream if the frosting is too stiff. Then scoop this frosting into a third piping bag.
- Once cupcakes are cool, pipe circles of each frosting one on top of the other to create a three-layered buttercream top! Add a maraschino cherry on the very top if you'd like, then serve!
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
