These gluten free passionfruit cupcakes are a tropical treat that encapsulates the exotic and tangy essence of passionfruit. These cupcakes offer a delightful combination of a moist and fluffy crumb infused with the distinctive flavor of passionfruit, creating a sensory experience that transports you to a sun-kissed paradise.
Starting with a light and airy batter, the passionfruit cupcakes are made from a blend of flour, sugar, oil (or ghee), and a generous amount of passionfruit pulp. The pulp, extracted from ripe passionfruit, adds a vibrant yellow color to the batter while infusing it with a tangy and slightly sweet tropical flavor.
Once cooled, the cupcakes are adorned with a creamy passionfruit buttercream. The frosting is made with my American Buttercream recipe and the addition of of passionfruit pulp/juice in place of the water. This frosting is smooth and velvety with a tangy undertone. You can also use the Swiss meringue buttercream recipe from the meringues class.
As with all of my recipes this will work with any commercially available 1:1 flour or you can make your own using the second flour blend recipe found here.
Ingredients
- 330 g 1:1 gluten free flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 224 g neutral oil avocado, vegetable, safflower, etc
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 120 g egg whites room temperature (approx. 4 large eggs)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 120 g whole milk room temperature (can sub 2%)
- 120 g passionfruit pulp see notes
Instructions
-
Directions:
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two standard size cupcake/ muffin pans with papers and set aside.
-
If you are making cake -Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the line the bottom with parchment paper.
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together until well combined.
-
Add the oil (or ghee) to the dry ingredients. Using an electric mixer on low speed or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the oil into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand. This process is called "reverse creaming."
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, passionfruit pulp, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended.
-
With the mixer still on low speed, gradually pour about half of the egg mixture into the dry ingredient mixture. Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
-
Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter for about 30 seconds. This will help to ensure that the batter is fully mixed.
-
Reduce the mixer speed to low again and gradually add the remaining milk mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth and well incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or whip too much air into the batter.
-
Set your batter aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes
-
Divide the batter equally between the prepared cupcake/cake pans. If you are making cakes, smooth the tops with a spatula.
-
Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20-22 minutes for cupcakes and 25-30 minutes for cakes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
-
Once baked, remove the cakes/cupcakes from the oven.
-
Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for a few minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack. If baking cakes let them cool for about 10 minutes in the pans. Then, transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Recipe Notes
Passionfruit pulp is really more like a slightly thick juice and can be found in the freezer section of most supermarkets - the most common brand in the US is Goya. Just make sure whatever you use is unsweetened.