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orange chocolate cupcakes topped with fresh blood orange
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5 from 5 votes

Blood Orange Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten Free, Low Carb)

These Gluten Free Blood Orange and Chocolate Cupcakes are also low carb, and absolutely decadent! Topped with a flavorful blood orange cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes are the perfect mix of chocolate, and colorful citrus with a tender crumb, vibrant flavor and gorgeous color.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 18 servings
Calories: 244kcal
Author: Briana

Ingredients

For the dark chocolate blood orange cupcakes:

  • 2.5 cups Bob's Red Mill superfine almond flour (280 grams)
  • 1 cup granulated or powdered erythritol or sweetener of choice (280 grams)
  • ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder (48 grams)
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but deepens the chocolate flavor)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon Bob's Red Mill xanthan gum (to bind the cupcakes)
  • 8 ounces sour cream, room temp
  • 1 tablespoon blood orange zest (zest of 1 large blood orange)
  • 4 ounces blood orange juice, fresh squeezed
  • 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon orange extract
  • 2 whole eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten

For the blood orange cream frosting:

  • 8 ounces full fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks (12 tablespoons)
  • 1-2 cups powdered erythritol, (use as much as you need to achieve desired texture) (For a stiffer frosting good for decorating, use 2 cups of powdered sweetener. 1 cup of erythritol makes a pretty thin frosting.)
  • 2-3 ounces blood orange juice, fresh squeezed, added slowly (Add blood orange juice slowly, because it will make the cream cheese frosting more liquid.)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon orange extract
  • teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

Instructions

To make the cupcakes:

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line cupcake tins with liners. This recipe makes about 18 cupcakes. Spray the liners with baking spray and set aside.
  • Sift your dry ingredients and sweetener into a large bowl (almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, kosher salt and xanthan gum) into a bowl. Whisk well to ensure there are no clumps. Set aside.
  • In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vanilla extract, orange extract, blood orange zest and blood orange juice until combined a nice pink color. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs until just combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in small batches, mixing by hand using a rubber spatula until just incorporated. Using a cookie scoop, spoon batter into greased cupcake liners until the liners are just halfway full. Bake cupcakes for 22-27 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the cupcake tin, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely, at least another 10 minutes, before frosting.

To make the blood orange cream cheese frosting:

  • In a large bowl, add your chunks of butter and blood orange zest. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add in cream cheese, and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes until well combined.
  • Add in orange extract, vanilla extract and salt to the mixture and mix until combined. Slowly add in the blood orange juice and alternate with powdered sweetener until desired consistency and taste are reached.

To assemble:

  • After cupcakes have cooled completely, top with frosting and a blood orange garnish if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not freeze cupcakes once frosted. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition facts do not include the slice of orange for garnish. 

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 213mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 506IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg