Good morning! It’s true, today is my birthday. Today I am turning my Mom’s current age minus 25 years (maybe that’ll keep her from telling you all my age, hehe).
I asked my Mom if she’d send a few pictures this way, from me when I was little, or of birthday’s, and these are a few that she sent.
Here’s my at my second birthday…I guess my Mom was ahead of the times with “smash cakes” because I had my own little cake to devour and destroy. Nice!
This is me, around 3 years old, baking with my Mom. I vaguely remember this, because I pulled my little chair from my little chair and table set up to the counter, and hiked up that apron. It was either cookie dough or bread dough, but definitely not gluten free.
Don’t you love the design of my parent’s kitchen? The fake ivy covered brick wallpaper, and the very printed flooring, which was mostly orange
in colour. Gotta love the early 80’s!
Ah yes, my 5th birthday. The hat and pin were either from school, or Sunday School, I can’t quite remember. Why do kids not have to wear paper crown for their birthday’s anymore? I wonder if I have construction paper big enough to fit around my head today? 🙂
That cake my Mom decorated herself from her Wilson cake decorating book. It has a ballerina on it, I’m not sure why, since I was a total tomboy, and ballerinas were not my thing. But, I did like it! And my birthday was quite often around Easter, so that’s why there are coloured eggs on the table, just in case you thought decorated with pastel eggs all the time.
I’m really not sure what’s going on here. I do remember that shirt though, I liked that shirt. The haircut, not so much.
I have been blessed to have over 30 wonderful birthday’s, and I am thankful for each and every one. I am old enough now to have seen that not everyone is that fortunate. I will not take my years for granted.
Today, my kiddos and I are starting the day with chocolate chip orange pancakes, and then we will be spending the day with my parents. More blessings right there, spending time with those that raised me, and those that I am raising. 🙂
Thanks for joining me today. I made you some cupcakes. I was so undecided about the flavours, there are so many different combinations that I want to try. Chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, mocha, white chocolate, and the list goes on. But, since it’s finally starting to feel like spring here, I decided to go with something a little lighter in flavour.
Gluten-free Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (see Note)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 package instant Lemon Pudding, 4 serving size (I used Jello Brand)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup confectioners' (icing) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup strawberries (about 4 ounces), hulled
- Source: Martha Stewart Cupcakes
Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (8 ounces), rinsed, hulled, and coarsely chopped
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes
- Line muffin tins with papers, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk together flour mixture, salt, baking powder, Xanthan gum, and instant pudding until combined. Stir together milk, canola oil, vanilla and zest in another bowl.
- Beat together sugar and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and milk mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until just combined.
- Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, and bake in the middle of the oven for 22-27 minutes, or until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes in pans on racks for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling racks & cool completely before filling and frosting.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
- Based on a recipe by Martha Stewart Kids, Volume 21 Spring 2006
- Put cream cheese, butter, and confectioners' sugar into mixer bowl; mix until creamy. Mix in vanilla. Puree strawberries in a food processor. Mix the puree into the cream cheese mixture. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Stir before using.
Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Place the strawberries in a food processor. Puree until completely smooth.
- Combine the egg white and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F and the sugar has dissolved. If you are not sure, feel the mixture with your fingers, it should not be gritty at all anymore. If it is still gritty, keep heating and whisking it.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. The bowl should be cool to the touch at this point.
- Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again. Give it time, it will come together again. Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Assembling the Cupcakes:
- To fill the cooled cupcakes, I used an apple corer, and pushed it down into the middle of the cupcake while twisting it. Just be sure to not go through to the bottom of your cupcake, you want to have cake under your filling. Remove cake "plug", leaving a hole for the filling.
- Place Strawberry Cream Cheese filling in a zipper seal bag, and snip a corner open. Pipe the filling into the cooled cupcakes.
- Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large decorating tip with the Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes as desired, and garnish with fresh berry slices.
Notes
The all-purpose gluten-free flour mix that I use is from Cybele Pascal. It is as follows: 4 cups superfine brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cups potato starch (not flour), 2/3 cup tapioca starch.
The Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling is adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart Kids, Volume 21 Spring 2006.
The Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream is from Martha Stewart Cupcakes
I’ll leave you with a few more pics…
I’m sorry, but I gotta toot my own horn here…I was one adorable baby! A bald baby, but a cute bald baby.
This picture has absolutely nothing to do with my birthday. It’s summertime. I’m apparently chilling on my Dad’s hammock. I’m just wondering if anyone else relate. Did your Moms all think they were hairdressers with some curling rods and an at-home Toni perm? Yikes, I can’t believe I let her do that to me multiple times. Love you, Mom!
Susan says
ha ha glad you said "love you Mom"…. I thought you were cute. Those cupcakes look delicious..are a few of them making a trip out this way?? fabulous pictures..
Sarah says
What cute pictures. Happy Birthday! Those cupcakes look amazing. Enjoy your day and your beautiful cupcakes.
laurie says
Happy Birthday! Family and gorgeous cupcakes…what could be better 🙂
Have a wonderful day.
Erin Jackson says
What size of instant pudding? There is a larger and smaller box at the store.
Danae - The Busty Baker says
I can totally relate to the perm, although I never let my mom try it at home. I'd go with her to the salon so we could get matching perms. Multiple times. There are about 2 years worth of pictures I'm threatening to burn so we don't have to relive those days again. Beautiful cupcakes though! And Happy Birthday! 🙂
gluten free pammy says
just found your blog..looks great think I will follow along..your welcome to check my blog out too…http://glutenfreepammy.blogspot.com/
Blue Lou says
Happy Birthday, they look great!
Brenda says
Happy Birthday! I won't tell anyone how old you are either, since I am older than you! Love the pictures. So glad you can spend the day with your family today, enjoy!
janice Galivan says
A BIG Happy Birthday to you. LOVE your pics. Hope that your day has been AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cinde says
Happy Birthday Jeanine! The cupcakes look sooooooo yummy! 🙂
hope4today says
Happy birthday! Thank you for all the yummy baking you've helped me with.
My daughter and I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and your reliable, tasty recipes have saved me from the experimentation GF baking usually requires. I bake bread once a month from one of your recipes. Loved the Lemon Bars and the raisin bran muffins.
Carolyn-What Life Dishes Out says
Oh my goodness, you are quite the youngster…I was already a teen in the 80's (though just barely)! Thanks for making me feel old! LOL I hope your birthday was great…your cupcakes sure look like they were delicious! We have a birthday in the family coming up this weekend (not minethankfully, but my youngest boy's) and I'm going to be making the tried and true GF chocolate cake he loves so much. But these lemon cupcakes sound really good, and maybe I'll have to make them for my own birthday this summer!
Colleen says
Happy birthday! Those cupcakes look delicious!
Anonymous says
Just what can be used as a sub for the pudding mix – that I can't have? ~ Margaret
Ligea says
Happy Birthday!!!
The Addicted Baker says
Happy birthday doll!!
Anonymous says
Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoy many more years of gluten free blogging!(not sure what I would do if I hadn't found your blog, such a HUGE help for those of us living gluten free!! Thanks!)
betty r says
Loved, loved this post and so many cute photos! Jeanine, I hope your birthday was all it should be.
The cupcakes look ever so delicious.
Oh yeah I know all bout those home perms..when I think about it I can still smell them:)
Kim-Cook it Allergy Free says
I know I totally missed your birthday, but I am here to wish you a wonderful belated one!! And your comment in the beginning about your age and how not to get your mom to tell it, was hysterical!
I think we lived parallel childhood lives. I had similar haircuts (and home perms) and clothes. LOL I am guessing we just might be about the same age!
And, man! You sure know how to celebrate in style! Those cupcakes are simply beautiful and sound just delicious!
The Mixing Bowl Diary says
happy birthday. those cupcakes look amazing! that frosting is calling to me!!
Anonymous says
I made these cupcakes for my husbands birthday (he and my daughter have celiac disease). The party with mostly young adults (20-25). Everyone loved them!!! Thanks so much for these incredible cupcakes. I didn't think for a while that the frosting was going to turn out – but it did!
Jeanine - The Baking Beauties says
Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes & kind comments. <3 you guys!
Anon – That frosting can be a little deceiving, but give it time, and it'll come together! So glad that everyone loved them. Happy belated birthday to your husband!
Robin says
I was thinking of trying this as a cake. Using the cupcake batter in a cake pan, the cream cheese filling between the layers and the buttercream on top. Do you think I would have to alter the cupcake batter other than the cooking time to do this? I think it looks like it would make a yummy birthday cake for my son.
Jeanine says
Oh, I’m sure it’d work well in cake pans, like you said, you’ll just have to alter the baking time. say Happy Birthday to your son from me! 🙂
Claire says
These look great , however I couldnt find any lemon pudding, I live in a remote area. I did find lemon pie filling , would that work? I would probably have to use only half of the package as it seems to have more in it than the lemon pudding? Any advice would be great! Thanks !!