Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Meringue Frosting

Name: Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Meringue Frosting
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 6 cups white rice flour; 3 cups tapioca flour, preferably Shiloh Farms; 1 1/2 cups potato starch; 2 tablespoons xanthan gum; 1 tablespoon salt; 1 1/2 cups Silvana's Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process); 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips; 3/4 cup boiling water; 1 cup sugar; 3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature; 1/2 cup canola oil; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; 4 large egg whites, at room temperature; 1 cup sugar; Pinch of cream of tartar; 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

4.0

(1,101)

2 Reviews

A mother of two and former bakery owner Silvano Nardone loves nostalgic desserts, like these rich chocolate cupcakes mounted with a fluffy marshmallow-esque meringue frosting. The recipe calls for a homemade gluten-free flour, but you can use store-bought if you need to.

By

Silvana Nardone

Updated on March 8, 2017

Ingredients

Silvana's Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

6 cups white rice flour
3 cups tapioca flour, preferably Shiloh Farms
1 1/2 cups potato starch
2 tablespoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon salt

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups Silvana's Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Marshmallow Frosting

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

Directions

Make the Gluten-Free Flour

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Set aside 1 1/2 cups and store the rest in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 year.

Make the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate, larger bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and chocolate chips with the boiling water until smooth. Add the sugar, sour cream, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla; whisk until no streaks remain. Whisk in the dry ingredients until incorporated.
Fill the prepared muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a rack and let cool completely.

Make the Frosting

In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl shouldn't touch the water), whisk the egg whites with the sugar and cream of tartar until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the whites at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes. Beat in the vanilla if using.
Transfer the meringue frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round pastry tip and frost the cupcakes.