Red Velvet, just had to give in

There are times that you want something so bad it follows you everywhere. Like a creepy stalker, you just can't shake the feeling it you may bump into it at anytime. Cupcakes seem to have that effect on me.  It has been on the rage for a good couple of years with cupcake shops popping up everywhere. Some say  this trend is slowing down. But honestly, will people get tired of eating them? They are miniaturized versions of luscious cakes that somehow make us feel less guilty for having them all day long (not just as dessert)
For me, the red velvet cupcake is my weakness. And to some extent, I judge a cupcake bakery on how good their red cupcake is.  People seem to be drawn to its deep red hue contrasted by a plush topping of cream cheese frosting. How would you describe the taste of a red velvet? It's quite hard actually, but the slight hint of chocolate against the slight tang of the cream cheese seem to perfectly play against each other. However, some say the cake version has coconut and pecans in it, but I am not a fan of coconut nor do I like nuts in my baked goods. And of course, nothing beats the good ol' familiar silver package of cream cheese. You know what I'm taking about here. Sure there are other brands there, but nothing can compare with THAT cream cheese. It is smooth, creamy and provides the right kind of bite that plays well with the cake. So for me, if you want a real good red velvet experience, you have to get the right cream cheese.
There were several cupcake recipes I came across, I just picked one and converted it to a gluten free one by swapping the flour to a mix of gluten free flours, 5 to be exact. I know, the pitfall of GF recipes is that there is no cup-for-cup substitution. And here in the Philippines, we really do not have ready-made GF flour blends available, unless you go to health food store. The flours I used here are the ones I can find in most groceries as convenience always matters when you want to make your own stuff from scratch. 
So here is my recipe for those irresistible red velvet cupcakes. I reduced the red food coloring as I wanted to stay clear of any artificial color and upped ever so slightly the cocoa powder from the original recipe.

Red Velvet Cupcakes 

(adapted from Paula Deen's recipe)

For the cupcakes:

1 cup  white rice flour

½ cup sorghum flour

3/8 cup almond meal

¼ cup tapioca flour

¼ cup potato starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the real thing please!)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 pound or 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the real thing please!)
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Top your cupcakes with the icing using a knife, spatula or any pastry tip of your choice.
 I am a frosting minimalist so if you want more, just double up the recipe.

The result?The color isn't your typical bright hue of red, its more a reddish brown which i really don't mind at all.  The cupcake itself is really moist with a subtle taste of chocolate.  The icing had the right balance of sweetness from the sugar and the tangy flavor of the cream chesse. Another 10/10 for me on this one!