Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Cupcakes

There’s a photo that I love, taken in my Grandma Charlotte and Grandpa John’s front yard up in Lake Oswego near Portland, Oregon. It’s of four- or five-year-old me, wearing a short-sleeve yellow patterned dress, hair cut short into a strawberry blond bob, little arms lifted and little hands propping up two massive rhubarb stalks, complete with plate-sized floppy leaves. I’m making a face, of course, thrilled to be showing off my crazy elephant ears plucked straight from the garden – tongue out, eyes crossed, probably just about to burst into a fit of giggles. I’m not sure who took the photo but it’s a gem.

It was either right before or right after that, that my grandma told me the story of her accidental adventure with rhubarb as a child in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. As the oldest (and therefore, of course, the wisest) of six, she was in charge, as all of us eldest siblings know, of deciding what mischief the gang of them was going to get up to. And one day it was rhubarb. Now, my grandma is a great cook now (and baker – though she doesn’t measure anything or write any recipes down darn it all), but subtract seven decades and she had a bit less experience to go on when it came to cuisine. So, when she confidently informed all of her trusting younger siblings that eating the leaves of the rhubarb growing in the back garden was a splendid idea, they all jumped on board (this is, perhaps, the most surprising part of the story – six under 12-year-olds chomping at the bit to eat a dark leafy green? incredible). A little while later, this grand plan bit the dust as all six poor kiddos got quite ill and my grandma learned a valuable lesson: there’s a reason all those rhubarb stalks in grocery stores are leaf free (though, to give her credit, I’m not sure there was any rhubarb in stores at the time). What a world we live in. Thanks, Grandma, for the story and the photo, whatever memory box it’s tucked away in.

All of that to say, rhubarb, at least the tart, fibrous stalk part, is awesome! I fell in love with the abundance of rhubarb-flavored items in Norway and Sweden when visiting family friends: rhubarb sodas and yogurts and tarts – everything you could imagine! It’s a delicate flavor, floral with a hint of celery, and the gummy chew you get when biting into a scoop of strawberry rhubarb pie is just sublime. So, in celebration of all of that Nordic culinary brilliance, and family stories to go with them, I decided to put strawberry rhubarb into cupcake form. Cupcakes are the name of the game right now – it’s a bit of a thing. So for these gluten free strawberry rhubarb ones, I made a thick, chunky rhubarb compote, blended up fresh, just-sweet strawberries, and added powdered freeze dried strawberries to the whipped cream cream cheese frosting (huge thanks to my mom, another chef extraordinaire, who gave me the recipe for this delightful new topping). They’re addicting and not-too-sweet and I’ve eaten about eight of them in the past three days, so if you do make them, be sure you have shelter-in-place buddies to share them with. If you’re into more floral, fruit-heavy desserts, try our strawberry rose cream tart, or even our pistachio rose raspberry Swiss roll (easier than it sounds!).

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5 from 2 votes

Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Cupcakes

The perfect classic – sweet strawberry and summery, tart rhubarb, in a cupcake and frosting!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time23 minutes mins

Cooling time15 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: buttercream, cupcakes, gluten free, rhubarb, strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, summer

Servings: 24 Cupcakes

Calories: 350kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Cupcake pans

Ingredients

For the rhubarb compote:

• 3 Cups chopped fresh rhubarb
• 1 Cup white sugar
• 1 Cup water

For the cupcakes:

• 1/2 Cup salted butter melted
• 1 Cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup sour cream
• 1 Cup pureed fresh strawberries
• 3/4 Cup rhubarb compote steps below to make the compote
• 2 Cups gluten free 1-1 baking flour mix with xanthan gum in it (if the mix does not have xanthan gum, add 1/2 a teaspoon of xanthan gum)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the frosting:

• 2 Cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 8 oz packages cream cheese
• 3 Cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 Cup powdered freeze dried strawberries blitzed up into a powder and then sifted to remove seeds

Instructions

• First, make the rhubarb compote. This will take about 40 minutes so give yourself some time. Chop the rhubarb and toss them in a large saucepan with the water and sugar. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes until thicker and rhubarb has softened completely. There will still be chunks of soft, light green rhubarb – that's good! Remove from heat and let cool completely before making cupcakes (this can be made days ahead – it also makes an amazing topping for pancakes!). I recommend transferring the compote into a container or bowl to get it out of the hot pan.
• Once compote is cooled, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line two cupcake trays with paper liners then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until lighter and thick. Puree the fresh strawberries in a blender or food processor and add in 1 full cup of pureed fruit (do not add sugar to the puree). Then add in the rhubarb compote and stir together until combined. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir together until combined. Spoon batter into cupcake cups (each cup should be filled about 2/3 of the way full), then bake for 20-22 minutes until the top of the cupcakes springs back at the touch. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
• While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting! This is a lighter, softer frosting than traditional buttercream so it won't hold sharp piped patterns, but it's delicious! In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form (very stiff, not goopy!). In a smaller bowl using the same mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add in the powdered (and sifted) freeze dried strawberries (this is a great way to flavor the frosting without adding more liquid/jam) and vanilla and beat until combined. Then scoop the whipped cream in and beat everything together for a few seconds until fully combined. Scoop frosting into a piping bag and frost cupcakes once cool. Then serve!

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

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber