Gluten-Free Yellow Cupcakes

I found this recipe on http://aglutenfreeguide.com/ They are extremely moist and yummy cupcakes. Tastes just like regular yellow cake.

1 package Gluten Free Pantry Old Fashioned cake mix*
1 package Jello vanilla instant pudding (EP-She didn't say what size. I only had a large box, so that's what I used.)
1/2 cup sugar
4 extra large eggs room temperature (EP-I only had large.)
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 C orange juice
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

*Do not follow the directions on the package.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat on high speed for two minutes.
Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill liners 2/3 to ¾ of the way full.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If making a cake, grease the pan first, pour in the mix and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.

Note: When I made mine, the centers fell when they cooled. I don't know if that's standard, or if it's because my timer freaked out and reset itself halfway through and I had to guestimate the cooking time. They still tasted fine, they just had a little dip. I solved the aesthetic problem by filling the dip with lemon curd (you can buy it in a bottle at the grocery store for tarts, etc.), then frosted over that with the buttercream frosting.

Voila! No dips and it tastes delicious. I'm sure peanut butter would probably also work well in the dip, then you could frost with chocolate frosting.

cooking with alcohol - but not really

Thought I'd put up some other substitutes for cooking with alcohol:


Beer - For light beers, substitute chicken broth, ginger ale or white grape juice. For heavier beers, use a stronger beef, chicken or mushroom broth or stock.

Champagne - Sparkling white grape juice or ginger ale.

Cognac - Peach, apricot or pear juice.

Grand Mariner - Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice.

Red wine - Beef or chicken broth or stock, diluted red wine vinegar, red grape juice diluted with red wine vinegar or rice vinegar, tomato juice, liquid from canned mushrooms, plain water.

Rum - For light rum, use pineapple juice flavored with almond extract. For dark rum, use molasses thinned with pineapple juice and flavored with almond extract. Or use rum extract flavoring. (Insert Captain Jack Sparrow quote here.)

Sherry - Orange or pineapple juice.

Vermouth - For sweet, use apple or grape juice or balsamic vinegar. For dry, use white grape juice or white wine vinegar.

White wine - Chicken broth or stock, diluted white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid, water. For marinades, substitute 1/4 cup vinegar plus 1 Tbsp sugar plus 1/4 cup water.

Other substitutions (and lists to print) can be found here, here and here.

Cooking Query--coffee substitute

Hi All!

I have a recipe for chocolate cake that uses "1 cup of hot strong coffee." I (obviously) don't want to use coffee, but don't know what to use as a substitute. Any ideas?

Thanks!