Wow! My first cupcake recipe made from The Cupcake Calendar. It was a great choice. I’ve been wanting a gluten free cupcake and this might have to be it. Especially for those chocolate lovers. And believe me, if you love chocolate you will love these cupcakes!

The Ultmiate Flourless Choc Cupcake

For the cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting

• 2 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp orange extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Place 12 paper baking cups in a muffin pan.
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, or medium bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir until completely melted. Set said to cool.
3. In a large bowl, cream the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and thick.
4. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and remaining ingredients.
5. Spoon batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.
6. To make frosting, sift the cocoa and confectioner’s sugar together into a medium bowl. Add the cream, vanilla, and orange extract. Beat until soft, but the cream should still hold its shape. Spoon over the warm cupcakes.
7. Store unfrosted in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
8. Makes 1 dozen.

My Notes:

1. First, they are delicious!
2. They will puff up in oven, but will “deflate” once start too cool.
3. I baked mine for 24 min, but it depends on your oven. Keep an eye on them at the 20 min mark. They didn’t seem quite cooked in the middle.
4. I didn’t have heavy cream and tried using homogenized milk. That doesn’t work! My frosting is a bit of butter, cocoa powder, icing sugar, meragne powder, and pure squeezed orange juice (I did not have orange extract). I’m sorry I can’t tell you measurements because I just kept adding and tasting until it was good. Be creative!
5. I’m sure the frosting/choc heavy cream is delicious when you have the proper ingredients on hand. If someone tries it, please comment below on how it turned out!

This recipe was found in The Cupcake Calendar and is from the book “500 Cupcakes”, published by Sellers Publishing, Inc.