Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

Step 2

Add the gluten free flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large bowl and gently whisk together.

Step 3

Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add the water, sour cream, vegetable oil egg, and vanilla bean paste or extract.

Step 4

Whisk together the wet ingredients together until they start to combine, then slowly begin to mix them into the dry ingredients.

Step 5

Mix for a couple minutes to help give the batter structure. You don't have to worry about over-mixing because there's no gluten in this batter!

Step 6

Let the batter sit for about 30 minutes to give the gluten free flour time to absorb more of the moisture in the batter. This will help prevent the cupcakes from having a gritty texture.

Step 7

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 way full, dividing the batter evenly between the liners. I like to use a cookie scoop to help me fill them evenly.

Step 8

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 9

Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Step 10

Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a whisk or paddle attachment until smooth.

Step 11

Mix in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and salt on a low speed.

Step 12

Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and heavy cream on a low speed until they are fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.

Step 13

Continue to mix on low for a minute to make the frosting extra smooth and the desired consistency is reached.

Step 14

If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Step 15

Place the buttercream in a piping bag fit with your favorite frosting tip and pipe large swirls onto the fully cooled cupcakes.