Well, I said I'd take care of any gluten-free vegans out there, and take care I will. As I mentioned before, I was vegan once upon a time, and the only thing that made life worth living then was one of the best cookbooks I've ever gotten my hands on, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero. Granted, there are only two actual gluten-free recipes in it--and they were kind to include those--but I've tried several of the other, fancy-schmancier cupcakes with the substitution of my favorite gluten-free flour blend, and wouldn't you know it, almost all the recipes worked. Here's a list of what I've tried, and how it worked: GOLDEN VANILLA CUPCAKES--I have a very vague recollection of making these, once upon a time. The bad news--I don't remember much about them. The good news--I clearly wasn't traumatized by a bad baking experience. I seem to remember them working out okay, but sinking just a bit at the top. If you make them, use your good baking sense and give them a few more minutes if you think they need it.
YOUR BASIC CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE--More like THE BEST chocolate cupcake. Not only has this recipe worked perfectly every time I've tried it--including with listed variants like Cookies 'n' Cream--it tastes amazing, and the texture is every bit as moist and magical as any glutinous chocolate cake you could dream up. This is the sort of cupcake you can slip your ignorant family, friends, and co-workers, then cackle maniacally in the corner because they have no idea they're eating allergen-free. More good news--this exemplary cupcake is the basis for a few other cupcakes in the book, such as:
CHOCOLATE CHERRY CREME CUPCAKES--Look at the picture up there. Look at it. Does that look like a good cupcake? Well, guess what... it's a freaking GREAT cupcake. Plus, the layers of flavor make you feel oh-so-fancy and accomplished. I went with extra un-frozen cherries instead of candied cherries for the toppers, which looks worse but tastes better, so you have your options. I haven't tried the kirsch variation, but really, since when has a cupcake not been better with booze?
CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES--Good stuff. The recipe claims to really burst with goodies, but I called shenanigans and packed in almost twice as much of the walnuts and spices. The result was a bit sinky in the middle, but otherwise just peachy. By which, of course, I mean carroty and nutty and spicy. And delicious-y.
GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES--You can just tell these really want to sink, but don't let them! If you give them the maximum recommended bake time, the most sinkage you should get is a small, soft dent in the middle. That said, it does nothing to hinder the dense, tasty, gingerbread-y awesomeness that this recipe turns out. Keep stirring the batter while you're filling the pan, though--the ginger chunks like to sink to the bottom, so someone could end up with a serious mouthful of spice.
CRIMSON VELVETEEN CUPCAKES--I'm a sucker for red velvet cake, and these deliver. Be warned, though--the batter is thin enough to most likely make you nervous, and the tops don't rise very much. The texture is dense and moist and pleasant, though, so if you have an aversion to flat cupcakes, make a batch of these and get over it. I also tried the corresponding Old-Fashioned Velvet Icing, but as a cooked icing that relies on a few tablespoons of flour for texture, it didn't come out so well. I prefer my red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting anyway, so just pick your favorite topping and skip the cooked crap.
BANANA SPLIT CUPCAKES--Good 'n' tasty. The preserves make them a bit dense and keep them from rising much, but the texture turns out fine. I haven't tried the 'Elvis' variation, and I went much easier on the toppings than the picture in the book suggests, but it seems like a cupcake that can handle a high hill o' frosting.
CHOCOLATE & VANILLA MARBLE CUPCAKES--Given the success of the individual batters involved--particularly the chocolate--I'm not sure why these didn't turn out better. To be fair, they did taste great, but the centers sank to varying and saddening degrees. I haven't given them another go yet, but I have a theory--I think the time it takes to swirl the batters, coupled with the swirling itself, causes the baking powder to lose momentum. If you do try the recipe, get them in the oven as fast as possible, then over-bake those suckers into submission.
TOASTED COCONUT CUPCAKES--This was the first cupcake recipe I tried, and it was good enough to singlehandedly create a monster. These are just plain awesome. The chocolate, coffee, and coconut combination is pumped to the frosting with amazingness, and if you don't like it, well... that's your problem.
CHOCOLATE MINT CUPCAKES--Another early hit. The book doesn't lie when it tells you that the mint frosting, although tasty, doesn't quite hold up without the ganache, so pile on a good bit of both and enjoy.
DULCE SIN LECHE CUPCAKES--These are fairly convoluted, what with the odd ingredients in the brown rice caramel glaze, but they're good. If you're into dulce de leche with a hint of citrus, it's probably worth the extra effort--along with time spent looking for powdered soy milk, which I found nearly impossible to hunt down. They come out nice and light, though, so if nothing else you can force empathy from your friends by repeatedly mentioning just how long they took to pull together.
COCONUT LIME CUPCAKES--My favorite summer-or-whenever-the-weather-breaks-70-degrees cupcake, not to mention the one I'm most often badgered into baking. I think I once made them four weekends in a row, and for no good reason other than to stuff my face with them.
CHAI LATTE CUPCAKES--These, along with the 'Earl of Grey' variant, are simple and delicious. They require little to no frosting, so they're not much of a cupcake's cupcake, if you will. That doesn't make them any less good, though.
PISTACHIO ROSEWATER CUPCAKES--To be honest, I don't know if anyone randomly craves the combination of pistachios and rosewater. That being said, these turned out really well. They puffed nicely, and the taste and texture were irreproachable. Probably not the kind of cupcake you make to cram after a crappy day at work, but definitely the kind of cupcake you foist on your friends and acquaintances to make them think you're interesting.
RUM RAISIN CUPCAKES--My absolute favorite cupcake for events, or anything that can be construed as an event. There's just enough booze to make you feel saucy, but not nearly enough to make you photocopy your bum at the office party. Also, they taste so amazing that I feel the need to both capitalize and italicize it, then follow it with several exclamation points. Like this--AMAZING!!!
PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES--Another completely awesome, sturdy little cupcake. These are dense, moist, and pretty much perfect, which I chalk up to the fact that using pumpkin in your baking makes your bakes exponentially better. Also, pumpkin and chocolate mixed together is fantastic. If you haven't tried it, you should go get on that. Like, right now.
APPLE CIDER CUPCAKES--Ah, finally a failure. Despite trying the recipe, then retrying with different proportions, I just couldn't get them to come out as anything over than a soggy, sticky mess--plus, reducing the cider is a right pain in the bum. That said, next to cupcakes, apple cider is one of my favorite things, so at some point I'll be trying this recipe again, and if need be again, until I achieve the combined joy of cider and cupcakes.
BLUEBERRY LEMON CREME CUPCAKES--Like most saucy, high-piled cupcakes, these are both messy and totally delicious. They come out great, but they do threaten to get soggy faster than the average cupcake, so force them on your friends or eat them fast. It shouldn't be hard.
When I get around to trying more of the cupcakes in the book, I'll post updates with the results. In the meantime, like with most gluten-free baked goods, you should probably stow leftover cupcakes in the fridge... if there are any.
