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If you’re a huge chocolate orange fan then you’ll absolutely LOVE my gluten free chocolate orange cupcakes recipe.
A rich, chocolate cupcake with dark chocolate chunks is topped in a dreamy chocolate orange buttercream.
These are sweet and delicious and great if you’re a chocolate fiend.
They’re also super fun to make and a great activity for baking with kids – they’ll love swirling the icing on to decorate them!
What ingredients do I need for the cupcakes?
To make these gluten free chocolate orange cupcakes you’ll only need a few basic storecupboard ingredients.
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method and notes but for the shopping list you’ll need:
- 125 g caster sugar
- 125 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g self-raising gluten free flour
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp orange extract
- 3 tbsp milk
- 50g dark chocolate (chopped into very small pieces)
I use a supermarket-own orange extract for the flavouring, and I usually use the gluten free self-raising flour from either FREEE.
These are both available readily in the supermarket and means you don’t have to buy any complicated or expensive ingredients.
However, if you’re using a flour which doesn’t have xanthan gum already, I’d recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon instead of 1/4 to give it a good texture.
For the dark chocolate I use the Dr Oetker cooking chocolate (in the baking aisle) as it’s gluten free and works best in bakes.
You can always use milk chocolate if you prefer – though these cupcakes are quite sweet anyway so I found the dark chocolate balances them out nicely.
How do you make chocolate orange buttercream?
Making buttercream is actually super easy with a few simple tips and tricks!
To make my chocolate orange buttercream, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 175 g unsalted butter, (at room temperature)
- 350 g icing sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 50g melted dark chocolate
- 1 tsp orange extract
I tend to go for an ‘all-in-one’ method and beat everything together until it’s light and fluffy.
You DEFINITELY want to make sure the butter is room temperature when making any form of buttercream.
Take it out of the fridge at least an hour or two before you want to make this.
For piping, I use a 1M nozzle as I think this has the best effect.
If you don’t have a piping bag or nozzle, you can always use a palate knife to swirl the buttercream frosting on instead.
Can I make these cupcakes dairy free?
Yes! These gluten free chocolate orange cupcakes are actually really easy to make dairy free.
Simply replace the butter in both the cupcakes and frosting for Stork Baking Block, or a similar dairy free alternative.
You’ll also need to make sure the dark chocolate you use is dairy free as well.
I haven’t tried making these as a vegan recipe but have heard applesauce or aquafaba work well as egg replacements in cakes.
Once I find the perfect egg replacer I’ll definitely let you know.
What equipment will you need to make my gluten free cupcakes?
Don’t worry – you only require the very basics! To make these gluten free vanilla cupcakes you’ll need:
- A 12-hole cupcake tin like this one
- A large mixing bowl – I have the pink version of this Mason Cash bowl and I’m in love with it!
- An electric mixer. You could use a wooden spoon but this makes life a lot easier! This is the one I use! It’s basic, affordable and does the trick!
- Some cupcake cases. I used basic white ones from Tesco but I also LOVE these rainbow ones for a party special occasion!
I’d recommend using an electric mixer if you can, as this will make the chocolate orange cupcakes a lot easier and quicker.
However you can use a wooden spoon – this is how I used to make cakes when I was a kid.
You could also use a stand mixer if you have one but I tend to just use a hand mixer as we have a lack of worktop space in our kitchen.
My gluten free chocolate orange cupcakes recipe
This gluten free chocolate orange cupcakes recipe is the perfect bake to put a smile on your face!
The recipe makes 12 cupcakes – and you can easily half or double the quantities if you want a larger or smaller batch.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
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Gluten Free Chocolate Orange Cupcakes
These gluten free chocolate orange cupcakes are a delicious treat! Gluten free chocolate orange cake with a chocolate orange buttercream on top. Can easily be made dairy free - see notes for substitutions.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 125 g caster sugar
- 125 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g self-raising gluten free flour
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp orange extract
- 3 tbsp milk
- 50g dark chocolate (chopped into very small pieces)
For the buttercream frosting:
- 175 g unsalted butter, (at room temperature)
- 350 g icing sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 50g melted dark chocolate
- 1 tsp orange extract
- Orange zest (for decorating)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180'C (170'C fan) / Gas 4. Fill a 12-hole baking tin with cupcake cases and set aside while you make the cake batter.
- Add the butter, sugar and orange extract to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and creamy. (TIP: If the butter is hard, zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before adding it to the mixing bowl to make it easier - you want it to be soft, not melted!)
- Crack the eggs into the mixing bowl and beat again for 30 seconds to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula.
- Sift in the self-raising gluten free flour, cocoa powder and xantham gum, add the milk, and then beat together with the electric whisk until everything is fully combined. You want a fairly thick batter which looks light and fluffy. Fold in the chocolate pieces until evenly distributed through the mix.
- Spoon the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases and then place in the centre of an oven and bake for 20-22 minutes. The cupcakes are done when they are well-risen, golden on top, and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool in the tray for 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the tray to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
- Add the butter, icing sugar, milk, melted chocolate and orange extract to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk on a low speed until it becomes a smooth, pale buttercream. (TIP: To avoid an icing-sugar dust cloud I tend to 'mash' the mixture with a fork until it starts to come together, then use the electric whisk).
- Once mixed, add the food colouring as per the instructions and beat again until the colour is well-mixed in. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag (see notes) and, once the cupcakes are completely cool, decorate them with a swirl of buttercream. Finish with orange zest on top.
Notes
- For the frosting, it's important to use room temperature butter to get the right consistency. If it becomes very soft once beaten (especially likely on a hot day) then place the buttercream in the piping bag and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until it's an easy consistency to pipe.
- These cupcakes will keep for around 3 days in an air-tight container. You can also freeze the cakes BEFORE frosting and defrost and decorate as desired.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 436Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 21mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 1gSugar: 43gProtein: 3g
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Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free bakes a try and see what you think!
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple of easy baking ideas to get you going:
- Christmas cake recipe
- Apple and blackberry crumble
- Gluten free tea loaf recipe
- Apple and salted caramel loaf cake
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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Like this Gluten Free Chocolate Orange Cupcakes recipe?
Make sure you pin these recipe cards below for later! Do head over and follow me on Pinterest too for more gluten free recipe inspiration.
