Gluten Free Orange Cupcakes

🍊 Ingredients

Freshly squeezed orange juice and zest are essential in this recipe. Remove all the zest from the oranges before you squeeze them. The excess can be frozen and used in other recipes. You'll be happy you saved it!

• Oranges - Valencia or naval oranges give the most juice. Cara Cara and tangergines are sweeter. 

• Sorghum flour - Has a mild, sweet flavour and smooth texture. It works in both savoury and sweet recipes. It's high protein and fibre helps add structure to baking.

• Potato starch - Gives a smooth texture and tenderness to baking plus provides structure and binding power. Yet too much potato starch gives baked goods a crumbly texture. This is not the same as potato flour.

• Baking powder and baking soda - Using two leaveners helps lighten the texture of baked goods.

• Xanthan gum - This is the glue that adds structure to gluten free baking. It seems expensive but is used in tiny amounts. Just buy it!

• Eggs - Help create structure in gluten free baking.

• Dairy free vegetable shortening - This demonstrates that dairy free can be delicious too.

• Icing sugar - Some occasions just call for icing.

See recipe card for complete ingredient list and exact amounts.

🍊 Instructions

Maximize juice - To get the most juice from your fruit microwave oranges for about 15 seconds each. Or them back and forth on the counter with your hands for the same outcome.

Zesting with a hand zester or rast (Microplane)- When you zest oranges get all the zest and make the most of it. The zest will keep in the freezer and when you have it on hand you'll find more ways to use it.

In this video I show you how I zest citrus fruit and, for the adventurous cooks in the crowd, how to cut citrus supremes.

🍊 Substitutions

Oranges - Blood oranges will give a unique deep colour. I've never tried them in this recipe (but I should).

Sorghum flour - Oat flour is the best substitute for sorghum flour.

Dairy free vegetable shortening - Substitute with butter if you don't want dairy free.

Dairy Free Substitutions - Since a significant percentage of people with celiac disease have some degree of lactose intolerance, especially during the first year as their gut heals, it makes sense to have a few dairy free recipes up your sleeve.

🍋 Variations

Fill your cupcakes - Buy a cupcake corer to remove the centre of the the cupcake and add some filling. Put the piece of cupcake back on top and use icing to hide the evidence. This is the perfect solution for gluten free cupcakes where the top of the cupcake is very flat. Although these cupcakes have a domed top, they would be decadent filled with homemade lemon or orange curd inside.

🍊Get The Tools

Gluten free baking has plenty of challenges so if you're new to baking and you love cake, start with cupcakes. Buy the tools you like for the baking you want to do and make it fun!

• This hand held press juicer is really the best juicer. One, or a pair, like these yellow and green juicers (for lemons and limes) would be a fabulous gift. 
• If you like power tools then this small electric juicer is for you.
• Muffin tins vary in size. I have both 6 and 12-count regular size muffin tins.
• Colourful paper cupcake liners go with everything and can make a stand out presentation. Keep some on hand at all times.
• Silicone cupcake liners, available round or square, are the best environmental choice.
• Portion scoops for both mini and regular size cupcakes, ensure a consistent size for even baking.
• The cupcake corer is a fun tool for filling cupcakes like I did in these Black Forest Cupcakes.
• A reusable piping bag set or disposable piping bags (12, 24 or 50) make icing easy. If you don't bake often a regular freezer zipper type bag works too.

More Citrus Recipes

Celebrate the season!