Gluten Free Chocolate Ganache Marshmallow cupcakes – Using real chocolate instead of cocoa powder, These cupcakes themselves are so easy to make. No mixer required.
This is my attempt at not posting anything sweet during January.
In my defence, I’ve come to the conclusion that life without cake is boring. I’m sure it’s far better for you to have a cake every now and then (like every other day, not once a month – that’d be ridiculous) than to have no cake.
Cake = endorphins
No cake = miserable Nicky (who ends up hiding in a cupboard anyway – eating chocolate chips from the baking shelf or that Christmas chocolate I found down the back of the sofa)
So I’m sticking to cake. And spin class too.
Now these chocolatey treats took me a couple of attempts to get right. I’ve got my recipe for fruity gluten free muffins sorted. Chocolate-gluten-free is another story though.
My first attempt had a good flavour, but ended up quite dry (sorry Kath – didn’t mean to try to weld your mouth shut with cake last week). So I spent Monday morning playing with the recipe, and got it spot on. Chocolatey, light in the middle and no welding of mouths. My kids have been taking the un-iced ones to school for snack time. Personally, without the topping, I think they need a few chocolate chips in, but it’s probably not a good idea to force chocolate chips on kids when they’re happy enough without them.
The topping to these cupcakes consist of:
Homemade marshmallow fluff – which is really a version of Italian meringue. Other marshmallow recipes on the web contain corn syrup – which isn’t readily available the UK, but I think this version works really well. It also gave me the chance to use my new candy thermometer yay!
Chocolate Ganache – I love how fancy the word ‘ganache’ sounds. Even though it’s just a mixture of cream and chocolate and probably the easiest sauce in the world to make.
Since I’ve been slightly obsessed with Greek yoghurt lately, and I also still had a tub left that Rachel’s Organic kindly sent me (thanks guys!!) I also used that in the recipe. I find it helps to ensure a more moist cake, and it also acts as an acid, which works with the baking soda (alkaline), to help the cupcakes to rise.
Hopefully you don’t need any more persuading to make these cupcakes, but just in case you do:
- The cupcakes themselves are so easy to make. No mixer required. Just mix all the ingredients in a bowl and spoon it out (the marshmallow does need a mixer, but it’s still pretty easy)
- You don’t need cake cases. These cakes should easily pop out of a non-stick metal muffin tin without leaving half your cake behind. Just spray or wipe the tin with a little oil or butter first and they come out really easily.
- They’re far more tasty than chocolates found down the back of the sofa
Gluten Free Chocolate Ganache Marshmallow cupcakes Recipe:
Gluten Free Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes with Homemade Marshmallow Fluff
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 100 g good quality dark chocolate make sure it's gluten free
- 90 ml coconut oil
- 200 g golden caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 220 ml Rachel's Organic Greek Yogurt full fat
- 60 g coconut flour sieved if it's lumpy
- 140 g Gluten Free plain flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
Homemade Marshmallow:
- 180 g golden caster sugar
- 60 ml water
- 2 large eggs whites
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 30 g golden caster sugar
Chocolate Ganache:
- 50 g good quality dark chocolate make sure it's gluten free, broken into pieces
- 50 ml double/heavy cream
Instructions
- First make your cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 180c/350f. Take a 12-hole metal muffin tin and spray with a little cooking oil (alternatively you could wipe with a little butter, or line with muffin cases).
- Break up the dark chocolate and place in a small bowl with the coconut oil. Place in the microwave and melt by putting in the microwave in 30 second blasts, then stirring in between each blast. Put to one side to cool a little.
- In a large bowl whisk the sugar and egg until combined, then stir in the vanilla and yogurt. Next add the coconut flour, GF plain flour and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Finally pour in the melted chocolate and coconut oil. Mix to combine and spoon out into the muffin tray. You want to fill the muffin holes until the mix is just under the rim. The cakes will rise, but not so much that they'll spread all over the tin. You may find you have a little left over, just cook this in a separate cake case or ramequin (cooks treat). Place in the oven and cook for 14-16 minutes - until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Once cooked, take out of the oven, leave to cool for a couple of minutes, then remove from the tray and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Next make the marshmallow. Place the 180g/6.3oz sugar and water in a small heavy-bottom pan. Place a candy thermometer in the pan and heat on a medium heat until the temperate reaches 240f (soft ball stage). Don't mix at any point or it will crystallize.
- Whilst the sugar and water are heating, place your egg whites in a bowl with the vanilla and salt and whisk (using an electric whisk on medium) until you get soft peaks (i.e when you lift the whisk, the mixture very slowly sinks back in on itself).
- Staying on the medium setting, slowly add the 30g/1oz caster sugar until incorporated.
- When your syrup reaches 240f, take it off the heat, and whisking the whole time,very carefully pour HALF of it (You can discard the other half, I find it's too difficult to make a smaller portion of the syrup) into the egg mixture in a very thin stream at the edge of the bowl (don't pour it on the whisk itself as you may end up being splattered with boiling hot syrup). Continue to whisk until you reach the stiff peaks stage (meaning the mixture will hold it's shape when you life the whisk out).
- For the ganache, place the cream into a small pan and heat on medium until it's almost boiling (you'll see a couple of bubbles rise to the top when it's time to turn it off). Turn off the heat and add in the chocolate. Cover the pan and leave for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, take of the lid and whisk the chocolate and cream. It should turn to a glossy sauce. Leave the sauce to thicken (about 10-15 minutes).
- Now it's time to assemble the cakes. Place the marshmallow fluff into a piping back fitted with a large, plain round nozzle. Starting from the outside and working towards the centre, pipe the marshmallow on top. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
- Give the Ganache a quick whisk and then drizzle on top of the marshmallow.
Recipe Notes
Nutritional Information
