Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes with Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting
Tangy, tart, and perfectly sweet Gluten Free Cupcakes with a lemon twist! Topped with homemade dairy free cream cheese frosting, these delicious treats have a moist, tender crumb and are full of flavor. Truly the perfect dessert!
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour* I use Bob Red's Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 large lemons zested
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 4 1/2-5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut milk or dairy-free heavy cream*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz dairy-free cream cheese I use Kite Hill
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.
- Cream Butter: Place the room temp/soft butter along with the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until the butter mixture is pale yellow, light, and fluffy.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: To the creamed butter add in the eggs, vanilla/lemon extract, and almond milk. Mix to combine, but don’t overmix.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Fold in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix, but don’t overmix.
- Fill Cupcake Liners & Bake: Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched.
- Allow To Cool: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow cupcakes to cool inside muffin tins for about 3-4 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow them to fully cool on a wire rack, for around 30 minutes. Once cooled, ice each cupcake with the dairy-free cream cheese and garnish with a lemon slice and fresh lemon zest.
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
- To a large bowl add the butter and dairy-free cream cheese. Beat together on medium speed until combined and fluffy. Slowly add the vanilla extract, plant cream, and powdered sugar. Beat together for 40 seconds or until fluffy and stiff.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend: I recommend all-in-one blends that are a 1:1 swap with all-purpose flour. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. My other favorite all-in-one blends include Cup4Cup and King Arthur. These blends include xanthan gum, which serves as a binder in gluten-free baking and helps with the structure and texture.
- Mixer: I used a hand mixer, but you can also use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment if preferred. Both work great!
Storage Tips
- Store leftover gluten free cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- To freeze, wrap each unfrosted cupcake in plastic wrap and store it in a zip-top freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and frost with a fresh batch of dairy free cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 1005IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg