This amazing gluten-free cupcake recipe makes moist and fluffy cupcakes that are perfect for any occasion.
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and continues to be a reader and family-favorite! PS – If you’re looking for a great cake recipe, try this gluten-free vanilla cake!
Looking for the best gluten free cupcake recipe? You’re in the right place. This post has all the tips and tricks you need to make fluffy, light, and moist gluten-free cupcakes, every time.
There are so many occasions in life that call for perfect, fluffy vanilla cupcakes. From birthday parties to special occasions, there is no need to miss out on cupcakes if you eat gluten-free!
VIDEO: How to Make Them
This gluten-free cupcakes recipe is my go-to anytime I need a good cupcake base. The gluten-free vanilla cupcakes are delicious topped with any kind of frosting and are made with ingredients that I always have on hand.
These gluten-free red velvet cupcakes, gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes and gluten-free vanilla cupcakes also turn out amazing every time!
For more gluten-free cake recipes try this gluten-free angel food cake, gluten-free pineapple upside down cake, gluten free carrot cake and gluten-free birthday cake.
You also might like this flourless chocolate torte or these gluten-free chocolate cupcakes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Light, tender crumb
- Made with pantry staples
- Come together quickly
- Perfect for so many occasions!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour: These gluten-free cupcakes turn out best when you use a high-quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend. Look for a gluten free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum to give these gluten-free cupcakes the structure they need. This is my favorite gluten-free flour brand for this easy recipe.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar and almond milk act as a great substitute for buttermilk. The cider vinegar helps to “curdle” the milk and creates a pleasant tang!
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch acts as a thickening agent to give the batter the perfect consistency—moist, but light and fluffy!
- Egg yolk: Adding extra egg yolk to these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes helps the batter hold more liquid and create a more moist, rich cake that has an improved structure.
NOTE: I use King Arthur gluten-free flour for many of my baked goods, but I like Bob’s Red Mill best for these cupcakes. (KAF will still work!) Gluten-free flour tends to be dense so be careful not to pack the flour into the measuring cup when you measure.
How to Make Gluten-Free Cupcakes
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the room temperature, unsalted butter and white sugar to a stand mixer or using a hand electric mixer, mix until creamy. Mix in the large eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients (almond milk and apple cider vinegar) and dry ingredients alternately. This allows the flours to absorb and creates fluffy cupcakes.
- Stir any cake batter up from the bottom and sides then mix again briefly.
- Scoop the cupcake batter into a lined muffin pan and bake. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- When the gluten-free cupcakes are cooled, using a piping bag to frost and give the cupcakes a professional-looking finish. I love topping these with chocolate buttercream frosting! You could also use vanilla buttercream to keep this a vanilla cupcake recipe.
Recipe Tip
Be sure you almond milk, butter and eggs are all room temperature for best results. This allows the gluten-free flours to absorb properly into the batter and make perfect gluten-free vanilla cupcakes.
Storage/Freezing Tips for Gluten-Free Cupcakes
TO STORE: These easy gluten-free cupcakes cake will stay moist and soft for up to 2 days. To store, simply cover the cooled cupcakes tightly with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.
TO FREEZE: Want to prepare these gluten-free cupcakes ahead of time? No problem! Bake the cake as usual, let it cool, and then wrap it tightly before freezing in an airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready to assemble and eat the cupcake, take it out to frost and let it thaw for a couple hours before eating. (Don’t frost the cupcakes before freezing.)
Gluten-Free Cupcakes FAQ
I recommend using a high-quality, gluten-free all-purpose flour for gluten-free baking. For best results, pick a blend that contains xanthan gum or another binder. These blends are usually called measure-for-measure or 1:1 baking flour.
This is my favorite gluten-free measure-for-measure baking flour. I also add a little cornstarch to the dry ingredients for these cupcakes. A little extra starch mimics cake flour and yields a nice fluffy cupcake.
Using the right kind of flour and the right flour-to-starch ratio will help these cupcakes bake up nice and moist, along with mixing on medium speed (instead of high speed), and using quality cupcake liners.
Yes, xanthan gum is a key ingredient in high-quality gluten-free flour. It makes all the difference in producing cupcakes with a light, moist, crumb and sturdy texture.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Adding a little cornstarch to the gluten-free flour helps to mimic cake flour in this recipe. This combination will create nice fluffy gluten-free cupcakes!
- These gluten-free cupcakes are delicious with any frosting recipe you like! My favorite combination is vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. But you can also try vanilla frosting, strawberry frosting, or any other frosting flavor you dream up!
- Make sure you mix the batter on medium speed rather than high speed. Mixing some air into the batter is good, but if the batter is beaten to hard of for too long it can incorporate too much air and the cupcakes will fall.
You also might like this round-up of the TOP 25 gluten-free desserts!
Original photo from 2014!
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
I hope you love these gluten-free cupcakes as much as we do! If you try these gluten-free cupcakes, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Perfect Gluten-Free Cupcake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond milk or regular milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 cup gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 6 1/2 ounces
- 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 ounce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar 7 ounces
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk or almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the almond milk and cider vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix together the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the 1/3 of the milk mixture alternately with 1/3 of the dry ingredients, beating on medium speed to combine after each addition.
- Scoop the batter into the lined muffin pan. The batter will be slightly thick. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Careful not to overbake.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely. Top with frosting of choice. Enjoy!
For the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cocoa powder. Mix to smooth any lumps. Add the butter and mix until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.
- Spread or pipe the frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure you almond milk, butter and eggs are all room temperature for best results. This allows the gluten-free flours to absorb properly into the batter.
- I recommend using a high, quality gluten-free all-purpose flour for gluten-free baking. For best results, pick a blend that contains xanthan gum or another binder.
- Adding a little cornstarch along with the gluten-free flour mimics cake flour in this recipe. This combination will create nice fluffy cupcakes.
- It also helps greatly to use a good quality cupcake liners any time you’re baking gluten-free cupcakes or muffins.
Pleasantly surprised and impressed. Definitely making these cupcakes again!
I’m so glad they turned out for you!
Oh my God! Cake that tastes like real cake and feels like real cake too! I did have to sub a tsp of mayo for the ACV (only had balsamic vinegar lol). Amazing cupcakes ❤
So glad the cupcakes turned out for you! 🙂
Hi, Erin— thank you so much for this recipe! I have to give you a great report! I made the recipe this week just to test how it would work as mini cupcakes and they were great in flavor and I was so excited about them that I wondered what else I could do with this batter. I then decided to make a pineapple upside down cake and use the batter as the cake. Well, I was not paying attention and I used King Arthur Measure for Measure BY MISTAKE! I was so bummed, but I saw the process through. Guess what? It was Ah-mazing! It was light and fluffy and flavorful and delicious and I have to tell you that it was a huge blessing to me and my family. My children were diagnosed with celiac about a year ago now and I had to stop my avid baking and resorted to trying a few boxed things and working on recipes. This makes me feel so confident that I can make a delicious cake. Thank you a million times!
I used this recipe as a base for a lemon cupcake. I let the better rest overnight thinking that the minister would soak up into the flours. Worked great… I graininess! Added zest and juice of one lemon!
Great recipe!
I’m so glad they turned out for you! Lemon cupcakes sounds delicious 🙂
I made these for my daughter’s class birthday party (one of her best friends has celiac) and they are so much better than any GF (or non-GF) yellow cupcake recipe I’ve ever used. I did use a smaller weight of flour than indicated–I use King Arthur Measure-for-Measure GF Flour and a cup weighs only 124 g, so 1-1/4 cups was 155 g = 5.5 oz. I did use 1 oz of cornstarch (which seemed like a lot less than 1/2 cup) and the texture was perfect. Light and fluffy and they did not sink at all in the middle!
I think when making a recipe or posting one, you should either stick to the weight of the products or the volume, ounces versus cups etc can make a very different end product.i personally always weigh things. More precision.
I made this with dairy free butter, and just used a hand mixer but they came out wonderful! Better than any cupcake i have purchased. thank you!
Best GF cake recipe!
I’m so glad you like these!
I am so happy to see this recipe. I find using all 1 to 1 BRM flour to dense in my yellow cake recipe. I have to try this. Thanks for posting. Does it make a big difference in keeping the cake moist if you use 2 whole eggs instead of extra yolks?
Do you think arrowroot powder would work in place of the corn starch? I would like to attempt this as a two layer cake. Do you think it would hold up or is best as cupcakes only? Thanks!
This recipe doesn’t work well as a layer cake! So sorry!
I made this the other day, but it came out more dense than I expected. I did a couple things different, mostly because that’s what I had, but I’m thinking that maybe the use of potato starch made the biggest difference. What are your thoughts? I used potato starch because that’s what I had, but when I measured it, I only got to about a 1/4 cup when I hit 1 ounce, so that’s what I used. Do you think I should have gone ahead and used 1/2 cup? Have you compared the two weight-wise, is the potato starch that much heavier than cornstarch? The other things I changed as a reference: I used cashew milk because that’s what I had and I make my own, but I use it as a milk replacement all the time and never have issues, so I doubt this was it; I also used 2 whole eggs because I don’t like the idea of wasting part of an egg and and didn’t have another use for the white at the moment, but I actually thought this would have made the cake lighter and would have been a comparable amount of “liquid”. I was curious why the 2 yolks anyway, was it just to get the “yellow” of the cake or was there another reason? I will admit, I don’t know all the chemistries of baking yet. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’d just like to get it a little lighter.
I think using homemade cashew milk will make very different results with these cupcakes. Cashew milk (especially homemade) is delicious but a lot thicker than homemade almond milk. I use the egg yolks so the cake stays light and tender. The whole egg with the egg white makes too much structure and the cake gets heavier. I experimented with this recipe a lot to get it just right so I would try making the recipe exactly as written if you want a lighter cake! I hope that helps!
Just made these tonight (for my mom) and they are awesome! Thanks for another great recipe, I will definitely make them again!
Hi!
These look gorgeous and I will definitely love to try them. I happen to already have Pamela’s all-purpose GF flour, do you think that would work? It doesn’t have xanthan gum but it does have guar gum.
Hi Anna! I haven’t worked with Pamela’s blend but I think it should work here! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
ok thanks! I’m thinking I will be making these for easter. Also, will arrowroot work for the cornstarch? if not I can use cornstarch but thought I like the health benefits of the arrowroot. 🙂
Yuummm. My favorite too. Can’t wait to try. Any pictures of the 4 year olds BD party?
Nothing beats a classic yellow cupcake with chocolate frosting.. these look beautiful and I can imagine tasted incredibly delicious!