If you’re a fan of all things salted caramel, then you’ll love these fluffy melt-in-your-mouth pecan cupcakes with salted caramel frosting. These are definitely the, I can’t believe they’re gluten-free, kind of cupcakes! But as gluten-free bakers know, anything can be recreated gluten-free and still taste mouthwateringly good.

Often adding almond flour to my cupcakes and cakes helps to keep them extra moist for longer, as gluten-free bakes tend to dry out much quicker than normal wheat-based bakes. The same goes for these cupcakes, the ground pecans added to the cupcake mixture add an extra dose of moisture to help keep them fresher for longer.

What equipment do I need for this cake?

• 12 hole muffin or cupcake baking tray
• Stand mixer or electric hand-held mixer (optional)
• Medium-sized cupcake cases (non-stick)
• Piping bag and 1M piping nozzle

What ingredients do I need?

• Butter – Unsalted, room temperature butter is best for this recipe
• Caster sugar – White refined caster sugar or fine caster sugar is preferred or light brown sugar as a substitute
• Eggs – Medium free range eggs at room temperature, just the egg whites are needed for this recipe
• Gluten free flour – A gluten free flour blend such as Doves Farm Self-raising Flour with added Xanthan gum is perfect for this recipe, otherwise a standard flour blend will work fine
• Vanilla Essence – Vanilla essence, extract or vanilla paste can be used as long as it is gluten-free
• Baking Powder – Any baking powder can be used, just check the label that it is gluten-free
• Almond flour – Almond flour is a great addition to gluten-free bakes, keeping them moist
• Ground pecans – Ground pecans may not be readily available in your area, so use a food processor to finely grind 50g worth for this recipe. Make sure to use plain, unsalted, non-roasted pecan nuts
• Sour cream or plain yogurt – Both of these add an extra layer of moisture for super soft fluffy cupcakes, full-fat is best
• Ground nutmeg – Finely ground shop-bought nutmeg is fine or you can grate your own into the mixture
• Xanthan gum – Xanthan gum is essential for most gluten-free recipes and there’s no exceptions here. Doves Farm is my preferred choice
• Salt – Salt is needed in order to balance out the sweetness
• Icing sugar – Standard icing sugar, sifted to avoid a lumpy frosting
• Salted Caramel -Any salted caramel cream will work here, just check the label that it is gluten-free. I tend to go for the thicker, creamier ones rather than the runnier, but either will work well
• Milk or heavy double cream – Either works well for the frosting, double cream will however add that extra creaminess
• Pretzels – No salted caramel cupcakes are complete without some mini salted German pretzels to top them off, just make sure to use gluten-free ones

Tips

• Room temperature ingredients are imperative so as not to create a mixture that curdles.
• If you forget to take your eggs out of the refrigerator in advance, pop them into a bowl of lukewarm water (not boiling or hot), for around 15 minutes. This helps to gently bring them to room temperature without cooking them!
• Some of the cheaper cupcake cases tend to stick to your cupcakes, ruining that magical moment when you peel back the paper to see a beautifully baked cupcake. In order to minimize the disappointment here, try to purchase cases that have non-stick on the label or lightly grease the cases before pouring in the mixture with a silicone greasing brush and a bit of oil or butter.

Tried this recipe? Let me know what you think!