By Cybele Pascal

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes

MAKES 12 CUPCAKES

These colorful cupcakes by Cybele Pascal are scrumptious. Top them with your favorite Halloween party favor (such as a plastic spider or bat ring), and you’ve got a perfect Halloween party treat.

1¼ cups + 2 tablespoons Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ + ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup rice milk
¾ teaspoon cider vinegar
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons dairy-free, soy-free
    vegetable shortening
¾ cup granulated sugar
2¼ teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 3 tablespoons
    rice milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon natural red food coloring
1 recipe Velvet Frosting
- Natural orange food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.

2. Measure out flour mix by spooning flour into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off with the back of a knife. (Do not scoop the flour directly with the measuring cup or you’ll wind up with too much flour for the recipe). Whisk together the flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Combine the rice milk and cider vinegar. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the natural red food coloring and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Sift in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the rice milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

5. Divide batter equally among muffin liners, smoothing down the surface with a frosting spatula or butter knife.

6. Bake cupcakes in the center of preheated oven for 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time.

7. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack about 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

8. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with Velvet Frosting. Top each with a Halloween party favor. Once frosting has set, store covered at room temperature. Extras can be frozen for eating later.

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Velvet Frosting

ENOUGH TO FROST 12 CUPCAKES

½ cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening (like Spectrum)
- Pinch of salt
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1½ tablespoons rice milk
1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and salt on medium speed for 1 minute.

2. Add the confectioners’ sugar in three batches, beating after each addition.

3. Add the rice milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth, creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

4. Add a few drops of natural orange food coloring to the frosting until desired shade has been reached. Frost cupcakes and decorate with Halloween party favor.

Each cupcake with frosting contains 311 calories, 22g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 7mg cholesterol, 266mg sodium, 29g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 1g protein.

Adapted with permission from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Sesame. Copyright © 2009 by Cybele Pascal, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.

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Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix

MAKES 6 CUPS

4 cups super-fine brown rice flour
1⅓ cups potato starch (not potato flour)
⅔ cup tapioca flour/starch

1. To measure flour, use a large spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Do not use the measuring cup to scoop your flour when measuring. It will compact the flour and you will wind up with too much for the recipe.

2. Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size zipper-top bag. Shake until well blended. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

TIP Super-fine brown rice flour is available from Authentic Foods, authenticfoods.com. To make your own, process brown rice flour in a food processor or a clean coffee grinder or food processor until super-fine.

Reprinted with permission from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Sesame. Copyright © 2009 by Cybele Pascal, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.