Gluten Free Vegan Orange Vanilla Cupcakes

Happy New Year! 

I had the brilliant idea that I was going to try to make champagne cupcakes for New Year's, but never got around to buying champagne : ) So, I opted for orange-vanilla cupcakes instead. Yum!

These cupcakes are adapted from the recipe found here. I made a few changes, and experimented with a new ingredient, acorn starch. I think they turned out a little denser than the original recipe describes- closer to a muffin than a fluffy cupcake- but still very, very good. 

Gluten Free Vegan Orange Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Frosting

Makes 12 large cupcakes, or 24 small cupcakes

Dry ingredients

3/4 cup organic brown rice flour

1/2 cup acorn starch (found in Asian markets)

1/4 cup tapioca starch 

3/4 cup organic raw cane sugar

1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt

1 teaspoon corn-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon guar gum

1 teaspoon vanilla powder

Zest from one orange

Wet ingredients

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon light agave nectar

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 

Ener-G egg replacerfor 2 eggs, mixed with 1/4 cup warm water

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with parchment liners.

Combine flour, starches, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, vanilla, and orange zest in bowl or in food processor.

In a bowl, add wet ingredients to dry and beat for approximately 2 minutes, until batter is light and fluffy.

Spoon into muffin tins, approximately 3/4 full.

Bake at 350F for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients

Approximately 2 Tablespoons Spectrum Organic Palm Shortening(or similar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (double check ingredients to be sure it is allergy friendly, or make your own)

1-2 tablespoons filtered water (or orange juice, or rice milk)

1 cup organic powdered sugar (I have found that Whole Foods 365 brand organic does not contain cornstarch- but always check the label)

Method

Combine all ingredients, and beat on medium high until frosting is smooth and creamy. If frosting is too thick, add a little liquid (water or orange juice). If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

Use a frosting bag and tip if you have one. I just used a Ziploc and cut off the corner :) 

Enjoy!