This year, Emma asked for gluten free ice cream cone cupcakes for her birthday. She got this idea after watching an episode of the Kids Baking Championship. I haven’t told you yet that I’ve molded her into a food-show loving young one. When she was a baby, we binged The Great British Baking Show, which she has since dubbed “watch people bake.” During these weeks at home she has been introduced to Pioneer Woman (“Ms Ree”) and America’s Test Kitchen (“watch people cook”). Not bad substitutes for the usual toddler/little kid programming. They’re all educational, right?

a non-traditional birthday treat

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I remember my mom making these one year for my birthday as a kid, and I thought those were the coolest cupcakes in the world! Since we have time, Em and I decided to bake these together. We are both gluten-free so we had to experiment with timing, etc. It was a blast!

Now, there are delicious gluten free cake mixes on the market. The Pillsbury brand is what we use in a rush. It’s delicious and you can’t tell it’s gluten free! This time we used the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. Several years ago, when I first became gluten-free, these books (How Can it be Gluten Free Cookbook and How Can it be Gluten Free Cookbook, Volume 2) were the first ones we bought. If you are gluten-free these definitely belong on your shelf!

This recipe is adapted from the recipe included in Volume 2. It’s worth noting that we used King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure flour blend. the America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) flour blend that is in the book is very good. If you have the ingredients, it is definitely worth whipping up a batch.

Before you start, it’s important to note that you’ll need some special equipment for this recipe. Baking, especially gluten free baking, requires precision. A kitchen scale is an important and essential piece of equipment in any baker’s kitchen. Find one that is easy to use, has a tare function, and that allows you to switch between units based on what your recipe calls for. You’ll also need a mini muffin tin. This will help keep the cones stable while they bake. If you don’t have a mini muffin tin, you can use some foil to help stabilize the cones in a regular muffin tin.

let’s bake!

Let’s get baking! The first thing you’re going to do (after heating your oven to 325) is melt your white chocolate and oil in the microwave. We use Ghiradelli white chocolate chips and it works just fine. Melt the chocolate and oil in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring in between. It will take approximately two minutes to completely melt the chocolate when the chocolate is melted, give it a little whisk and set it aside.

mixing the dry

Now, you’re going to whisk your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a medium bowl. We did a straight 1:1 flour substitution, as the flour we are using does well with 1:1. One of the things I really like about these cookbooks is that the people over at ATK really do their research. They’ve researched different brands of flour and different methods, and explain their findings in each recipe.

Our flour blend includes xanthan gum, so we did not include it. If you use their flour blend, you’ll need to add it. Xanthan gum is a thickening agent and food stabilizer which is often used in gluten free baking and cooking. Once you have your dry ingredients combined, set the bowl aside.

whisking the wet

Next, you will combine your wet ingredients in a large bowl, starting with the eggs and vanilla. Then add the sugar, whisking until it is fully incorporated. Then add the sour cream and melted chocolate. Pour your dry ingredients into your wet and mix until completely combined and smooth. Finally, gently fold in your sprinkles. You need to do this gently so the sprinkles don’t run.

Now you are ready to fill the ice cream cones! For this recipe, you’ll need flat-bottomed cake cones. The Joy brand has a gluten free cone which is delicious and works perfectly. Grab two boxes since you’ll be baking 18 cupcakes, and since the cones are fragile you’ll have extra in case any break. Place your ice cream cones in your mini muffin tin, alternating so they aren’t touching.

it’s baking time!

You’ll have to bake your cupcakes in batches. Using a cookie scoop, place 1 1/2 scoops of batter into each ice cream cone. Carefully place the cones in the oven and bake for about 22 minutes until the tops of the cake starts to turn light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave them in the pan for a few minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cooled, you can frost your gluten free ice cream cone cupcakes with your choice of frosting. Emma requested strawberry frosting, so we used this recipe from Lindsay at Love, Life and Sugar and it delicious!