Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

Tender and deeply chocolatey cupcakes that melt in your mouth and no one will ever guess they’re gluten-free.

The secret lies in the combination of cocoa, hot coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor, and a touch of buttermilk for that soft, fluffy crumb.

Then there’s the frosting — my Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting — which was born out of a happy kitchen accident.

Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

I was out of sour cream, so I grabbed the mascarpone I had on hand and whisked it in with cocoa, sugar, and a splash of vanilla-bourbon paste.

There’s a simple kind of happiness in baking something from scratch — especially when it’s rich, chocolatey, and made for everyone to enjoy. Like these Gluten-Free Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Whether you bake these for a celebration or just because, these Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes will become one of those “any time, any occasion” desserts — were each bite is a reminder that gluten-free can still be deeply delicious, cozy, and full of heart.

Deliciously Gluten-Free: Your Guide to Perfect Bakes

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

Makes: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 18–20 minutes

Dry Ingredients

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs, room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

⅓ cup neutral oil (avocado or grape seed)

½ cup buttermilk (or milk + vinegar)

½ cup hot coffee (or hot water)

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting – find recipe HERE.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugars, and oil until smooth. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix in until combined.

Next combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed — don’t overwork the batter. Pour in hot coffee and whisk gently. The batter will be thin — that’s what makes them moist!

Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full. Bake in preheated oven for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Your Cupcakes

Tools you will need

Small piping bag (or zip-top bag with the corner snipped)
Star or round piping tip (optional)
Microplane or grater for white chocolate

Garnishing’s

Fresh raspberries – 1 per cupcake
White chocolate curls – grate from a block or bar

Instructions:

Once cupcakes are cooled, fill your piping bag with the mascarpone frosting.

Pipe a lattice or crisscross pattern over the top. No need for perfection — the rustic texture is part of the charm!

Gently press a fresh raspberry in the center of each cupcake.

Use a Microplane to sprinkle white chocolate curls or shavings over the top.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

These cupcakes are proof that you don’t need a piping bag full of tricks to create something showstopping — just a bold frosting, a few thoughtful garnishes, and a little creativity.