If "wedding cake" was a flavor, in my mind it would absolutely taste like white almond sour cream, often abbreviated WASC. This is a flavor that's often requested at my cottage bakery, and I've finally given in and developed my own gluten-free white almond sour cream cupcake recipe!
The buttercream comes out white as snow, as there is no brown vanilla extract to slightly tint it. The cupcake itself is light, fluffy, and rich. Both together, it's a delicious combination perfect for any occasion.
Jump to:
Ingredients
As always, the most important ingredient is the gluten-free flour. Please click through for the DIY blend I use in my bakery, as well as appropriate alternatives. This blend is used in tandem with almond flour, with just the right proportions to accentuate almond flavors, without compromising on texture.
Not shown on the picture below is the optional almond slivers for garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This is a great recipe for beginner bakers, as gluten-free white almond sour cream cupcakes do not require butter to be creamed; it's a one-bowl recipe.
- Mix all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
- Add all the liquid ingredients to the large bowl.
- Mix well until a smooth batter is formed.
- Split equally into a lined cupcake tray.
- Bake ~17 minutes at 325F.
- Prepare the buttercream frosting and decorate!
If you've never made buttercream frosting before, there is a video in my detailed buttercream recipe.
Hint: Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting, or the buttercream will melt!
Substitutions
The allergens in this recipe are: eggs, milk, tree nuts (almond). If you have a tree nut allergy, you can take a look at my gluten-free horchata cupcakes, which are nut-free and would also make pretty white wedding cupcakes!
- Dairy-Free - I have never tried making the cupcakes dairy-free but I think it's possible. Milk is in three places: the butter in the frosting, the buttermilk powder, and the sour cream.
- Butter: use a vegan butter of your choice, coconut based is my favorite
- Buttermilk powder: omit, and instead replace the water with a homemade vegan buttermilk (vegan milk curdled with a teaspoon of lemon juice)
- Sour cream: use a vegan alternative
- Egg-Free - You could try a flax egg, though I have not tested. Here's a gluten-free vegan strawberry cupcake that you can try instead!
Equipment
For the buttercream, you'll need either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or an electric mixer.
For the cupcakes, a lined muffin tray.
Storage
There are shelf-stable! When sour cream is baked into the final product, it no longer requires refrigeration. The buttercream is also shelf-stable. Great news for time management if you're making these cupcakes for a wedding!
These gluten-free white almond sour cream cupcakes are good at room temperature for up to 3 days. Beyond that, they should be frozen. You can flash freeze a decorated cupcake 10 minutes (to harden the frosting), then wrap it in plastic. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month in the freezer, and thaw to room temperature when ready to eat.
Top tip
Let the gluten-free batter sit for 10 minutes while the oven preheats, to allow the flours to absorb moisture. This makes the cupcake less "gritty" which is sometimes a feel associated with gluten-free baked goods.
FAQ
WASC is the acronym for White Almond Sour Cream, and it's a delicious cake flavor! It's typically made from a box cake that is then "doctored" to add flavoring and texture. My recipe is from scratch, and tastes just as light, fluffy and delicious without any added preservatives!
Why not both!? Sour cream adds fat to the cake and makes the crumb more tender. Buttermilk adds slightly more acidity and moisture. I like using both in this recipe, and my buttermilk is in the form of powder as not to add too much liquid. I found this post on choosing dairy for a cake super interesting.
Related
Craving more cupcakes? Check these out!
Gluten-Free White Almond Sour Cream Cupcakes (GF WASC Cupcakes)
Equipment
- 1 muffin tray lined
- 1 Stand Mixer or electric mixer
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 160 grams gluten-free flour please click through for appropriate blends, not all GF flours will work
- 30 grams almond flour
- 170 grams sugar
- 5 grams baking powder
- 3 grams baking soda
- 3 grams salt
- 16 grams buttermilk powder you can omit, and replace water with buttermilk (milk curdled with a teaspoon of lemon juice)
Liquid Ingredients
- 130 grams sour cream cold
- 125 grams water warm
- 1 egg room temperature
- 56 grams canola oil or other neutral oil
- 2 grams vanilla extract
- 4 grams almond extract
Frosting Ingredients
- 174 grams butter salted, room temperature
- 349 grams powdered sugar sifted
- 4 grams almond extract
- 15 grams almond slivers optional
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add all the liquid ingredients and mix until a smooth batter is formed. Mixing by hand is preferred as to not overmix and affect the gum texture.
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F (163 °C)
- While the oven preheats, let the batter rest for 10 minutes to absorb moisture.
- Split the batter evenly into the lined muffin tray, about ¾ full.
- Bake in the middle of the preheated oven 16-18 minutes.
- The cupcakes are ready when a finger leaves an indentation that bounces back without leaving a lasting print.
- Cool fully on a rack before frosting. Letting the cupcakes cool in the tray will continue baking them on the bottom, so it's better to remove them.
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric mixer, cream the butter until white, soft and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If room temperature is cold, you may need to add hot water by the teaspoon to soften the butter.
- Add sifted powdered sugar and almond extract.
- Mix another 5 minutes until the frosting is light, white and fluffy.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip (used for these pictures is a 1M piping tip).
- Pipe your decorations, and sprinkle the top with almond slivers if desired.
- Enjoy!
Naelle @ GlutenFreeDIYers
Almond is such a good flavor for buttercream. Can't wait for you to try these cupcakes! <3
DK
I love how moist and creamy these sour cream cupcakes are! I made them for my daughter's birthday party this past weekend and all the kids loved them!
suja md
This was a such a delicious and easy recipe! So good!
TAYLER ROSS
I made these cupcakes over the weekend and they were amazing! So soft and fluffy!
Elisa
Love this gluten-free white almond sour cream cupcake recipe so easy to make and fluffy. Looks delicious!!! Thanks for sharing :)
Neha
So easy to make and you really can't go wrong with delicious almond flavor! Cupcakes were so fluffy too.
Heidi J Glover
Hello and thank you for sharing your recipe! Have you ever made the WASC into a gluten free cake, by chance? I'm looking for a cake recipe for my daughter's wedding.
Thanks so much!
Naelle @ GlutenFreeDIYers
Yes I have! You have to do a little math, but when I make a 6 inch 2 layer cake, I multiply the cupcake recipe by 1.3, and when I make an 8 inch 2 layer cake, I double it. Good luck!