Update: This contest has ended and the winners have been chosen by Random.org. 

The Winners are: Kelley White AND Andrada

Congratulations! I will contact you  soon via email.

 

Well, no. I am not giving away these amazing Gluten-Free Black Forest Cupcakes (although I am sharing the recipe for you to make your own). I am actually giving away two sweet copies of the amazing cookbook that you will find the recipe in, along with 149 other mouth-watering gluten-free dessert recipes.

(Details to enter the giveaway are below,but…DO NOT just jump to the bottom. I mean it. You will be tested. There. Consider yourself warned).

The book I am talking about? Simply…Gluten-free Desserts: 150 Delicious Recipes for Cupcakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Old and New Favorites, by Carol Kicinski, who runs the Simply…Gluten-Free website as well. Her site, by the way, is a wonderful resource and just full of absolutely gorgeous photography and to-die-for gluten-free and allergy-friendly recipes.

About a year ago, I had the opportunity to test ten different recipes for this cookbook using Carol’s Gluten-free Amazing All Purpose Flour blend. Every single recipe I tested was amazing. Seriously. I did not have one negative thing to say about any of the recipes. I actually felt like I was repeating myself each time I sent off another review to her, raving about my results.

Well…needless to say, I was so excited to get my hands on my copy of this cookbook and check out the other 140 recipes that I had not yet tried.

I promise you that you will feel the same way when you get your own copy of this book. Not only are there gorgeous color photos throughout (every single one taken by Carol herself), but there are also many tips and ideas to help you achieve fool-proof results in your gluten-free baking.

It truly is a beautiful book. You know the kind. It is one that will earn a permanent position in your cookbook holder, smudged from greasy fingerprints and dusted with gluten-free flour. It is the one you will smile at each time you see it propped open to your favorite dessert.

So far, these are the recipes that I have made:

Almond Cranberry Bundt Cake

Mint Chip Cupcakes

Chocolate Ginger Bites

Pecan Tassies

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Banana Nut Muffins

Chocolate Cherry Scones

Kahlua And Cream Syllabub

Arborio Rice Pudding

and….

This Perfect Pound Cake – which I have made again…and again…and again. Seriously. It is that good. I have used this Pound Cake in trifles, french toast, and even bread pudding. And I have served it lightly toasted  with ice cream, berries, and whipped cream.

Oh, and, of course…

Those Amazing Gluten-Free Black Forest Cupcakes I mentioned…

Black Forest cakes and cupcakes remind me of my childhood. There were only two desserts I ever asked my Mom to make on my birthday as a child…Black Forest Cake and Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Although Carol did not have a Pineapple Upside Down Cake in her cookbook, she did have these unbelievable I-bet-you-won’t-know-they-are-gluten-free Black Forest Cupcakes in there. I just could not resist a little throw back to my childhood.

So…today I will share this recipe for her cupcakes, with Carol’s permission of course. Next week I will, however, share my own version of Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake here…just to be nice and not leave you all hanging. You all must be dying for that recipe…right?

Black Forest Cupcakes

Shared with permission from Carol, of Simply…Gluten-free

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups gluten-free flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

1½ cups milk

1 – 14.5 ounce can red tart cherries – drained

1 -10 ounce jar maraschino cherries – drained and liquid reserved, use divided (I used real cherries)

Topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Grated dark chocolate for garnish

Directions:

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Insert paper liners into the cups of 2 standard muffin pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Turn mixer to low and add the eggs, one at a time until each egg is fully mixed in, scrapping down the sides of the bowl with each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and milk to the creamed butter, starting with 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half the milk, half the remaining flour mixture, the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer and scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl well with a large spatula.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each prepared muffin cup, add 3 of the red tart cherries to each cup then top with 2 more tablespoons of batter. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until springy on the top. Allow to cool in pan for about 5 minutes.

With a toothpick, poke 6 or 8 holes in each cupcake. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of reserved maraschino cherry liquid onto each cupcake and let it soak in. Remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping

Whip cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of reserved maraschino cherry juice. Beat until stiff.

Frost cupcakes and garnish with a maraschino cherry and some grated chocolate.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Okay, yes. Now it is time for the giveaway.

Did you play by the rules and read the post instead of just skipping down here to find out how to enter? I hope so.

Here is your test (and incidentally, worth one extra credit entry towards this giveaway):

1. Name one idea that I mentioned that I did with the Pound Cake.

For more entries, you can do one or both of the following, just leave a separate comment for each, so that they count as additional opportunities to win:

2. Follow Simply…Gluten-free on Facebook

3. Follow Cook It Allergy Free on Facebook

Good Luck! There will be TWO winners announced on Wednesday, June 8th at 12 p.m. Pacific Standard Time!