Miss GF Makes #4 – Ice Cream Cone ‘welcome home’ Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting (gluten free)

How impressive are these for a 10 year old baker? Miss GF is making great progress. With the complete trust of a child, she will (it seems) grab any book off the shelf and (regardless of whether she has ever heard of or used the ingredients previously) and will make whatever she likes the look of. Good for you Miss GF…. I’m so proud of your kitchen adventures (and fearlessness)!

She made these amazing Cone Cupcakes to welcome me home from my recent trip to the States. It was the first time I had been away from her for more than one night and although I think we probably all benefitted from some time away from each other asserting a little individual independence, I was quite relieved (in a selfish sort of a way) that my absence was felt and I was actually missed.

Miss GF found the main sponge recipe and the idea to bake it in cones (gluten free of course) in a book by Elana Amsterdam (‘Gluten Free Cupcakes’), which uses lots of healthier ingredients…… coconut and almond flour, unrefined sugars and dairy free alternatives.

I am reliably told by Mr GF that our very clever little baker insisted on doing all the preparation and baking on her own, with Mr GF being banished from the kitchen. His principle support role was to ferry her to the supermarket to source the ingredients which she couldn’t immediately find in the cupboard and to clear up the mess once she’d finished (breathes a sigh of relief that the second task fell to someone other than me on this occasion)….

I think she has surpassed herself. She managed to work from a recipe that used unfamiliar US cup measurements and she even remembered to take eggs from the fridge well in advance and allow them to come to room temperature before mixing!

Miss GF’s frosting was (in typical Miss GF style) somewhat unconventional in it’s production….. She tells me that she did not use a recipe and instead chose to make it up as she went along…… apparently ‘rubbing’ the icing sugar and cocoa into the butter until it became a sort of icing ball to which she added and finger kneaded the coffee to get a soft pipeable mocha frosting…..

Actually…. it tasted great….. A perfect balance of chocolate and coffee, which was not excessively sweet. I have however chosen to offer you a fairly standard bowl & spoon frosting method below as I figure that ‘kneading’ frosting is a tad random and beyond requirements! Still….. Miss GF certainly shows ingenuity and willingness to experiment…..

And what of the Cone Cakes? They are absolutely delicious! Made with coconut flour and agave nectar, they are shockingly healthy sponge-wise, but also beautifully moist and perfectly textured. The sponge is free of gluten, dairy, grains, nuts, soy and refined sugar……. Perfect for a whole bunch of avoidances, and you can always top with a dairy and refined sugar free frosting for the full intolerance-busting package.

Miss GF’s choice of mocha topping was spot on and paired really well with the flavours beneath…….. She has recently developed a bit of a liking for coffee (should I be worried?), but if you prefer, you could use plain chocolate frosting or even a fruity alternative.

I am sharing Miss GF’s amazing Cone Cupcakes with the following :

Treat Petite – This month with Cakeyboi (and as always, The Baking Explorer). June’s theme is ‘Fit for a Queen’. I think these would look fab at any garden party and I certainly felt like a queen when Miss GF presented them to me!

Cook Blog Share – this week with Hijacked by Twins.

Free From Fridays with the Free From Farmhouse.

Gluten Free Fridays with Vegetarian Mamma.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes (with a sponge recipe from Elana Amsterdam)

Ingredients