If you have celiac disease or need to avoid gluten for other reasons, baking can be complicated. This page will help you be able to enjoy cupcakes, by teaching you how to make gluten free cupcakes.

You can still enjoy baked goods like cupcakes if you have celiac disease or a gluten allergy. There are gluten free mixes on the market, but you can still prepare baked goods from scratch, with a few modifications.

Gluten is a protein that provides texture and structure to baked goods. It is naturally found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and triticale. When using flours made from sources that do not contain gluten, such as rice, potatoes, and tapioca, the other ingredients need to be modified so that the cupcakes rise properly, and have a typical cake like texture.

Note: While this list of ingredients doesn;'t include wheat based products, gluten can "hide" out in many unusual places. Some brands of imitation vanilla, baking soda, or cocoa may contain wheat products as stabilizers. Carefully check the ingredients on any product you purchase to make sure it's gluten free.

To make a dozen cupcakes, you'll need:

• 1 cups rice flour
• 1/3 cup potato starch
• 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup milk
• Frosting, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan.
3. Stir together rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added.
6. Stir in vanilla.
7. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
8. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Cool completely before frosting.