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Gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes with Secret Ingredient




Yum

July 12, 2014 by Andrea Fabry 12 Comments

This gluten-free version of the Hostess Cupcake is suitable for birthday celebrations or an afternoon treat. The secret  ingredient is mashed avocado, which brings richness to the flavor and texture. Even if you have an aversion to avocado, be sure to try this – you’ll be amazed how the avocado enhances the flavor of the cacao.

Your family will love this kid-approved chocolate cake!

Gluten-free Chocolate Cake
Andrea Fabry
Gluten-free Chocolate Cake

This recipe blends raw cacao with avocado which makes for a rich and flavorful cake.

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Ingredients

  • 2 large avocados - mashed
  • 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons coconut manna or coconut cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 2 cups almond meal, ground almonds or almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (optional)
  • sweetener of choice - 2 tablespoons non-GMO xylitol, liquid stevia or raw honey
  • Frosting
  • 1/2 cup palm shortening
  • 1/4 cup coconut manna or coconut cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flour
  • sweetener to taste (options include xylitol which must be dissolved ahead of time, liquid stevia, or raw honey)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place mashed avocado in food processor and pulse till creamy.
  3. Add coconut oil, vanilla extract, coconut manna, sweetener and eggs.
  4. Pulse to combine.
  5. Combine ground almonds, coconut flour, cacao powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl.
  6. Add cacao nibs if using.
  7. Combine avocado mixture with dry ingredients in bowl.
  8. Blend using a spatula. The mixture will be very thick!
  9. Spoon batter into muffin liners or into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
  10. Bake for 30-40 minutes for cupcakes or 40-50 minutes for loaf pan - until toothpick or knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  11. Allow to cool on rack before frosting.
  12. This will make 6-8 cupcakes.
6.6.15
http://it-takes-time.com/2014/07/12/gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/

*Dissolve xylitol in a small amount of liquid on the stove. I combine 3 tablespoons xylitol with 1/8 cup kombucha. Water will work. I add 1 teaspoon of grass fed gelatin to make a nice syrup. The gelatin helps the whipping process.

To fill cupcakes with white frosting, cut a small hole with a serrated knife in the center of each. Add white frosting to the middle and allow some to drizzle onto the sides. I did this while the cupcakes were warm to get more of the drizzling effect.

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Foodie, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: avocado, cake, chocolate, gelatin, gluten-free, kombucha, palm shortening, shortening, sugar-free, xylitol

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Comments

  1. Raia says

    July 12, 2014 at 6:27 pm

    This sounds amazing, Andrea! I love hiding avocados in stuff. 😉

    Reply
  2. Andrea Fabry says

    July 12, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    I think I’m going to change the name to Sneaky Mom Cake. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Shannon says

    July 12, 2014 at 9:13 pm

    I think you can call them Shannon’s Favorite Ones! 😛 SO yummy!!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      July 12, 2014 at 10:19 pm

      That has a nice ring too, Shannon Marie. 🙂

      Reply
  4. WN Mama says

    July 16, 2014 at 4:21 am

    Great idea! We are allergic to eggs so I’m going test this out with some alternatives. Pinned it and I will let you know if I land on the perfect egg sub for this recipe. 🙂 Oh how I used to love a hostess cupcake … you are talking me back to my days at summer camp. 🙂

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      July 16, 2014 at 2:12 pm

      I would love to hear back! I could add to the post.

      Reply
  5. Chrystal Johnson says

    July 18, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    Those look delicious! I will have to try these. Pinning for later!

    Reply
  6. Denise says

    July 29, 2014 at 10:47 pm

    This looks so yummy, especially for my granddaughter who has celiac disease and is moving in with me! I am allergic to nuts so I cannot use almond flour. Is there a suitable alternative?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      July 29, 2014 at 10:52 pm

      My daughter is allergic to nuts and can eat almonds if they are soaked. (Of course I’m not assuming the same is true for you – just mentioning.) Coconut flour works – but use much less of it. Or combine garbanzo flour with coconut flour. Buckwheat, millet, quinoa flours can also work.

      Reply
  7. Doreen Pendgracs says

    February 26, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    Interesting! I’ve heard of avocado and chocolate together before, but I have a hard time getting my head around it. Will definitely bookmark this for future use!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      February 26, 2015 at 2:06 pm

      Thanks Doreen! It truly is an adjustment to imagine the combination.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Gluten Free Healthy Chocolate Cake With A Secret | my gluten free diet says:
    September 11, 2014 at 10:28 am

    […] Gluten-free, Sugar-free Chocolate Cake with Secret Ingredient – This healthy version of the Hostess Cupcake is suitable for birthday celebrations or an afternoon treat. The secret ingredient is mashed avocado, which brings richness to the flavor and texture. […]

    Reply

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MEET ANDREA

I am a certified Building Biology Advocate, a former journalist, mother of nine, and avid CrossFitter who likes to think outside the box. After our family's health crisis in 2008, I learned to ask questions about what's in our food, our water, and our air. I hope to empower you as you seek to live safely in a complex world. Thankfully, small steps lead to big changes. Let's travel this road together, one step at a time.

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