Almond Cupcakes
Vegan and Gluten Free
These little cupcakes are moist and have a lovely flavour of almond. You can choose to make a vegan buttercream of a simple white icing if you don't have any vegan white chocolate.
Almond
Cupcakes
5
Tablespoons vegetable oil
4
Tablespoons gluten-free dairy free yoghurt
160
ml/5.5 fl oz gluten-free soya milk
160g/5.75
oz ground almonds
3
Tablespoons almond extract
40
g/1 ½ oz ground almonds
*
160 g/ 5 ¾ oz gluten-free plain flour
*½
teaspoon xanthan gum
1
½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
½
teaspoon salt
*If
you are using a blend of flours – white rice flour, tapioca starch and potato
starch for example then you need the xanthan gum
*If
using a store bought gluten-free plain flour it will have thickeners in it so
no need for the xanthan gum.
Icing
60g
vegan white chocolate
100g
gluten-free icing sugar
1
½ Tablespoons gluten-free soya milk
Toasted flaked almonds and crystallized
ginger to decorate
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
C or 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with 10 paper cases.
Place the oil, yoghurt,
milk, sugar, almond extract and ground almonds in a large mixing bowl. Sift in
the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt then beat with an electric
hand-held whisk until the mixture is well combined.
Divide the mixture between
the cases in the prepared cupcake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25
minutes, or until well risen and golden. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack
and leave to cool completely before icing.
To make
the icing, melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of
simmering water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Beat in the
icing sugar and soya milk and spread the icing over the cupcakes with a
teaspoon while the icing is still a little warm and easy to spread. Top each
cupcake with a few toasted flaked almonds and finely chopped crystallised
ginger.
