So it’s nearly Easter, and I’m all about cake right now, so I got to thinking that Easter cupCAKES would be just right! I just used my base cake recipe and used all natural food coloring to dye some coconut flakes and frosting … used gluten-free jelly beans and GF sprinkles, and this fun Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit ropes (yep- GF!) for the handles, adorned a few with Peeps (they’re gluten-free too!) and I suddenly had some of the cutest little cakes I’ve ever made! Super easy, super cute and and super yummy!!! Have fun making AND eating them!

Easter Basket Cupcakes

• 3 cups Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbs. gluten-free baking powder
• 1/4 cup powdered milk (dairy or non-dairy alternative like Vance’s DariFree™  Powder)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (like Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
• 2 cups granulated cane sugar
• 4 large eggs (see below for egg-free option)**
• 2 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk or non-dairy alternative (like vanilla coconut, soy, hemp, rice, etc. “milk”) – I used So Delicious® Vanilla Coconut Milk

*Note – to make a delicious chocolatey version of this cake, simply add the following ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• replace 1 cup of milk listed for white cake with 1 1/4 cup chocolate milk, dairy or non-dairy (I love chocolate almond milk in this recipe!)

**Egg-Free Option – in place of 4 eggs, add 4 Tbs. arrowroot powder to dry ingredients and 4 Tbs. applesauce to the beaten butter/sugar mixture

Pre-heat oven to 350º F (static) or 325º F (convection).  Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and dust entire surface lightly with Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour. To make cupcakes, oil or line cupcake pans with cupcake papers (Makes approximately 28 cupcakes).

Whisk together the flour, powdered milk, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat well with your mixer’s paddle attachment, until the mixture is very light and fluffy (approximately 3-4 minutes).  Add the eggs next, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla with the last egg addition.  Slowly add the milk, alternating with the flour mixture and beating in between the additions.  Beat until smooth and pour into the prepared pans.

For cakes, bake for 30 minutes, turning the pans half-way through if using convection setting; for cupcakes, test after 20 minutes for doneness.  To test the cakes for doneness, insert a cake tester or toothpick in the middle of each cake and be sure it comes out clean, with very few crumbs attached.  The cakes will also begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pans.  Add time if necessary to fully bake the cakes.

When done, turn off the oven and leave the oven door open to let the cakes cool slowly there for 5 minutes or so, then remove the cakes to a cooling rack.  After 15-20 minutes of total cooling time, gently invert the cakes to remove them from the pans, then flip gently back onto the cooling rack until fully cooled.

Peeps come in so many fun colors & shapes … any of which are gluten-free! Super easy decorations for those cupcakes, too!

Frost the cakes only when fully cooled, or in the alternative, you may wrap the cakes with wax paper or plastic wrap and seal inside freezer bags to freeze or refrigerate until ready to use.

Decorate with gluten-free candies or Peeps!

*This recipe and over 149 more, also available in my new cookbook, Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy!