I’ve been meaning to write this post all week, and here it is Saturday again!

Originally Published 02/05/2022

Not too long ago I decided since I enjoyed food photography so much, that I should give portrait photography a shot as well! People are a little more complex to photograph than Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes lol, but I’ve also been enjoying that side of photography immensely!

That’s why it’s taken me so long to get this recipe post written up and published!

I had the opportunity to photograph a styled shoot down in Nashville at the Virgin Hotel.

I took over a thousand photos in the six hours I was there! Check out the blog post I wrote about the venue if you’d like to see a few of the pictures.

Anyway, back to the Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes – they are basically an adaptation of the Gluten-Free Coffee & Walnut Cupcakes I made a while back.

The original recipe was just so dang easy to make and tasty that I wondered what else it could do!

Let me tell ya, it didn’t disappoint because these Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes are equally as delicious and simple to make. Plus, they’re topped with an oh-so-good chocolate buttercream that’s hard to pass up!

So to get started making these Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes,

grab all the dry ingredients and get them mixed together.

I don’t know why, but I am still just amazed that gluten-free anything can taste good haha. I’m such a hater. But at least I’m a hater in remission of hating gluten-free. 

Each time I make another gluten-free thing and it tastes good, I let go a little more of my gluten bias lol.

So once you get the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and cocoa powder whisked together, set it to the side.

Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes Step Two:

whip together the salted butter and brown sugar. Then add the 4 eggs in one at a time, mixing thoroughly as you add. Lastly, for the wet ingredients, add vanilla and espresso.

Pour in the dry ingredients you whisked together earlier, and mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Easy.

The next part though never comes easy to me haha. I cannot successfully fill the cupcake liners without creating a giant mess.

My go-to remedy to help me with my chronic cupcake batter dropping is to scoop all the batter into a large Ziplock bag, cut the tip off one corner, and squeeze the batter into the liners.

I’m not gonna lie and tell you this eliminates all the disasters. (I generally overfill a few and underfill a few and have to use a spoon to glop some of one into another) But it does help.

However you manage to accomplish it, once the batter is in the liners, bake the Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes at 350° for 25-35 minutes.

While the Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes are baking,

it’s time to make the chocolate buttercream frosting. Start by whipping the 1/2 cup of room temperature butter and vanilla. Next add in the 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, and 1 tbsp of heavy cream.

Start slow mixing this stuff or it will be everywhere! Once the frosting comes together, whip it on high speed to get it fluffy. You might need to add 1-2 or 3 more tbsp of heavy cream depending on how thick the frosting is. It needs to be pipeable but not too wet so that it loses its definition when piped, sorta just melting back into itself. Once you’ve got the consistency you like, scoop it into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and you’re ready to frost once the cupcakes are cool!

I’ve wanted to take pictures of cupcakes reflected in a mirror

since I started this recipe blog.

I feel like all of the food photographers who inspire me the most use mirrors and reflective surfaces in their work.

It’s kind of a tricky thing to do!

A couple of weeks ago, I finally set out to find this mirror in the pictures.

I looked in three different antique stores to find it, and honestly, it did the job, but I would have preferred one of those smaller dresser mirrors that have a stand of their own.

In any case, I love these photos and had so much fun taking them. They have such a romantic yet lonely quality to them I think.

While you’re waiting for your Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes to cool, check out some of my favorite and inspiring Food Photographers below!

Viola Virtamo

Betty Binon

Anja Burgar

Bea Lubas

Aida

I could go on, lol. There are so many truly talented storytellers out there!

Finally,

once your Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes are cool, frost them with that delectable chocolate buttercream and give them a sprinkle of something – powdered sugar, coconut flakes, oreo crumbles, sprinkles of any color – whatever you like!

Invite over some friends for coffee and enjoy!

Let me know if you like the recipe. Let me know if you like the photos. What do you think about the photographers I linked above? Or just comment below to say hi!

I appreciate you taking the time to read my ramblings!

Hope you have a great weekend! ❤️❤️❤️

Print Recipe

Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes

These Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes with chocolate buttercream are simply divine!

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time11 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Equipment

• Kitchenaid Mixer
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Rubber Spatula
• 12-Cup Muffin Tin
• Cupcake liners

Ingredients

Cupcake Batter

• 1 3/4 Cup Gluten-Free Flour
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1/4 Cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
• 1 Cup Salted Butter room temperature
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 4 Eggs room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Shot of Espresso or 4 tsp instant coffee combined with 1 1/2 tbsp hot water

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 1-3 tbsp Heavy Cream or whole milk
• 2 3/4 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Cupcake Batter

• Preheat the oven to 350° and line your muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the 1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour with 3 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, a 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Set to the side.
• In your Kitchenaid Mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the 1 cup of room temperature salted butter as well as the 1 cup of brown sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
• Next add in the 4 room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing in as you go. Once the eggs are fully mixed in, add in the shot of espresso, tsp of vanilla, and mix to combine.
• Lastly, add in the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. You may have to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
• Scoop equal portions of the cupcake batter into all 12 cupcake liners. Place the tin on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes or until the cupcakes are fully risen and if you stick a toothpick in the center it comes out clean.
• Remove the tin from the oven and carefully remove the cupcakes from the tin placing them on a cooling rack to cool. Do not frost them until they are fully cool.

Chocolate Buttercream

• While the cupcakes are cooling, in your Kitchenaid mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together 1 cup of softened unsalted butter, 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla, 1 tbsp of heavy whipping cream, and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. Next, add in the 2 3/4 cups of powdered sugar one at a time, mixing in between each cup. Once all 3 cups are in, turn the mixer on high and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add in 1-2 more tbsp of cream until the consistency you want is achieved.
• Next, you can either use a butter knife to frost the cupcakes, or a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Frost each cupcake and finish with sprinkles if you’d like!
• Share with friends over a cup of coffee and enjoy!

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