Doing what you love and contributing to something bigger than yourself is always a good mix. This post, and these cupcakes, are part of a bigger thank you to chef and pastry chef, Rob Rubba, and Paola Velez, for organizing what has become a worldwide coalition of #BakersAgainstRacism. If you haven’t heard of this yet, check it out here! It was started in early June by the two aforementioned professionals in the baking space, in hopes of gathering other bakers across the country to participate in a virtual bake sale, from which fundraised dollars would go to any number of foundations and organizations in need of support to continue the movement and work for #BlackLivesMatter. I heard about it through various other Instagram home bakers, who helped to spread the word, and signed up to commit to selling our goods (in this case, cupcakes). And now look at us! Over 2,000 bakers and bakeries strong – across the globe – and the entire virtual bake sale has netted over $1.6 MILLION and counting that we’ve all now donated to hundreds of different organizations (great article here on the progress!).
I (Amelia), as Sisters Sans Gluten selling cupcakes in San Francisco, donated the money I raised to The Okra Project, an incredible organization “that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever [they] can reach them” (from their About section). There are, of course, so many organizations in need right now who help BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color), but we chose The Okra Project this time in honor of Pride, Black Lives Matter, and some dear Trans friends who are furthering the BLM movement as we speak.
Participating in what we hope becomes an ongoing Bakers Against Racism movement was a reminder that if you have a passion, you can always find ways of using that creativity, love, and excitement for good. Think bigger than just sharing the food you make with others – there is always a way for what you create to help on a much larger scale. We encourage all bakers – whether you’re just learning, or you’re a seasoned home chef, or a professional in the business – to apply your nascent or well-trained talents to a global purpose. Food is, we argue, political. It defines culture and in turn informs prejudice or judgement. But it can also be used politically for good, and we’re all about using your talents and passions to affect change (which is, inherently, political).
Because the virtual bake sale last week also fell around Juneteenth (never heard of it? we hadn’t either – so do your piece and look it up, or read through our last post on gluten free red velvet cupcakes that has a few good links to informative pieces about the holiday), I wanted to create cupcake flavors inspired by Juneteenth desserts and traditions. The first one I thought of was strawberry hibiscus – a play on the red-foods thread throughout Juneteenth cookouts and celebrations. Hibiscus, also, was apparently first a drink in West Africa and was subsequently brought over on the Slave Trade. The combo tasted similar to strawberry rhubarb (another sweet + tart pairing – try these strawberry rhubarb cupcakes if you’re a fan!), and I highly recommend using hibiscus tea/powder/syrup in your baking if you haven’t yet! Have a ball with my new recipe below for these gluten free strawberry hibiscus cupcakes!
Gluten Free Strawberry Hibiscus Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake pans
- Small saucepan
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
For the hibiscus syrup:
- 1 Cup water
- 3/4 Cup white sugar
- 1 Tbsp hibiscus powder
For the cupcakes:
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 Cup sour cream
- 3/4 Cup canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 Cup pureed fresh strawberries
- 1 1/2 Cup white sugar
- 1 1/4 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum included (if your mix doesn't have xanthan gum in it, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum now)
- 3/4 Cup blanched almond meal/flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp hibiscus powder
- red food coloring optional
For the buttercream:
- 2 Cups salted butter room temperature
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 Cup powdered freeze dried strawberries instructions below
- 1/2 Cup pureed fresh strawberries
- 1/3-1/2 Cup hibiscus syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- red food coloring optional
Instructions
- First, make the hibiscus syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and hibiscus powder and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until all the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar dissolves, let the mixture cook for 5-7 more minutes until thicker. Turn off heat and pour the syrup into a heatproof mug or bowl, then let cool completely (I put mine in the fridge for about 15 minutes).
- Next, make your cupcakes – preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line two cupcake trays with paper liners then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla, strawberry puree, and sugar. Then, add in the flour mix, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and hibiscus powder, and whisk to combine. Add in the red food coloring if using (to your color liking), then spoon the batter into the lined cupcake pans (each cup should be about 3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In another large bowl, using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat together the room temp butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until thicker and smooth. Then, in a food processor or nutribullet, blitz up 1-2 packages of freeze dried strawberries until you get a fine powder. Sift the powder to remove seeds and add about 1/3 cup of it to your frosting mixture (all up to your taste – add more or less if you want!). Then, add in the hibiscus syrup, pureed strawberries, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if the frosting doesn't hold its shape/is too loose, or add more strawberry puree or syrup if it's too stiff to pipe. Add red food coloring if using to your desired hue. Then, scoop buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Then serve!
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
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