Gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes recipe – a cute little tribute to what I really miss eating on a Summer’s day. Now I can enjoy them in cupcake form instead!

Gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes recipe, anyone? With a fluffy vanilla cupcake, a Nutella (or jam) centre with whipped vanilla buttercream, all that’s left to do is add a flake and enjoy!

Sadly, a ‘real’ Flake 99 from my local ice cream man is far, far from gluten-free. Even further than I initially thought!

Of course, us gluten-free folks can never eat the cones from an ice cream van. So you might think that doing this would be a great alternative:

(I’m joking by the way!)

But some of my lovely followers messaged me to say that soft-serve ice cream isn’t always gluten-free to start with! So that very likely makes a Flake 99 a distant memory for us.

That’s why I wanted to create a little baking-style remix, dedicated to something I haven’t eaten in over a decade… and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in 2020!

Why make my gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes recipe?

Super easy to make – just make cupcakes, icing and construct!
You’d never know this recipe was gluten-free AT ALL – yes, even muggles will eat these.
A Cadbury’s chocolate flake is gluten-free in the UK, so hooray – there is at least SOMETHING about a Flake 99 we can actually eat!
It’s a great baking project if you have little helpers in the kitchen.
You can either fill the middle with Nutella or jam, depending on what finish you’re going for!

And with this recipe, I really wanted to add a couple of options for the finishing – that way you can customise this recipe just like you would with a real Flake 99!

I always used to love strawberry sauce on my Flake 99, so check out the photo below for a ‘jammy’ finish. If you fancy a jammy finish, simply fill with jam instead of Nutella and drizzle a little strawberry sauce on top. Easy!

And what do they taste like? Absolutely divine, of course! In one big bite you can get that soft, fluffy cupcake, a gooey mouthful of Nutella, whipped vanilla buttercream and that crumbly, chocolatey flake. What more could you want?

Here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe, keep scrolling until you see the recipe card for the measurements and method ??

Gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes recipe: Ingredients

For the sponge

gluten free self raising flour
baking powder, (ensure it’s gluten free)
xanthan gum
margarine / spread / softened butter
caster sugar
eggs
vanilla extract

For the filling

Nutella OR Jam

For the buttercream

icing sugar
margarine / spread / butter
vanilla extract

For the decorations

Chocolate Flake bars
Strawberry OR chocolate sauce

So I thought I’d kick things off with a little frequently asked questions section – if you just want the recipe, then keep scrolling!

But I’ve thrown in some tips here that will be really helpful if this is your first time baking this, or you want to adapt it. So here they are!

Gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes recipe: Frequently asked questions

Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

It is gluten free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make that that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten free products.

Can I make your gluten ‘Flake 99’ cupcake recipe dairy free?

I haven’t labelled this recipe as being dairy-free because, of course, a Cadbury’s flake isn’t dairy-free and that’s sort of the main feature of these cupcakes!

But without the flake, you can easily make everything else dairy-free.

For the sponge cakes, all you need to use is a softened block of hard margarine or a dairy free margarine spread like this, instead of butter.
Whilst you can use a dairy free margarine spread for the cake, DO NOT use it for the buttercream. It’s far too soft and won’t hold like buttercream should. Use the hard block of margarine instead for that.
Instead of using Nutella for the centre, you can also use this particular chocolate hazelnut spread as it’s dairy-free. However, the jarred version by the same brand has a ‘may contain dairy’ warning, so please be careful!

Can I make your gluten ‘Flake 99’ cupcake recipe vegan?

Yep! If you follow the instructions above to make this recipe dairy free, then all you’ve got left to contend with is the eggs.

Here’s a few ideas you can use as egg replacements, so each of these = 1 egg.

3 tablespoons of aquafaba – water from a can of chickpeas. Keep the chickpeas for a future dinner!
Egg replacement powder – I’d recommend using Orgran as it’s gluten free.
1 tablespoon of chia/flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
3 tablespoons of applesauce.

I haven’t tested all of these egg alternatives so let me know how you get on in the comments below ??

Is your gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcake recipe nut free?

This recipe can be nut-free if you fill the cupcakes with jam instead of Nutella and also:

As far as I can see, a Cadbury’s flake doesn’t contain any nuts or have any ‘may contain’ warning for nuts – but please triple check for yourself, online and in-store.

But even still, make sure you check the ingredients label on ALL the products you use just to be safe.

Even if the products don’t contain nuts, they may have a ‘may contain nuts’ warning due to being produced in a factory that handles nuts. You can never be too careful so always read the labels on everything first.

Is this recipe low FODMAP?

Sadly, because of the milk content in the chocolate flake and in Nutella, these cupcakes are not lactose-free, therefore, not low FODMAP.

By filling the cupcakes with jam and removing the chocolate flake, that would make one cupcake low FODMAP and suitable for the elimination phase of the diet.

Are Cadbury’s Flakes gluten-free?

Yes, in the UK, Cadbury’s Flakes are gluten-free! But don’t take my word for it (you never know when things might change after all), here’s a link to it so you can check it for yourself.

According to Coeliac UK, if a product has no gluten-containing ingredients and no ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat etc. then that makes it safe for Coeliacs and those on a gluten-free diet.

Can I make your gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes in a food processor or standing mixer?

Of course you can, but you definitely don’t need to. I use both a stand mixer and an electric whisk for this recipe. Here’s a link to the electric whisk I use.

A stand mixer makes making buttercream a breeze and an electric whisk speeds up mixing the cake batter. You can of course, use either for both tasks too, just make sure you clean your stand mixer bowl in between of course.

But do bear in mind that you can absolutely bake this without assistance from any appliance – just a good ol’ fashioned wooden spoon or spatula will do. Just make sure you give it a lot of welly, otherwise your mixture won’t be consistent!

Do I need any special equipment to bake your gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes?

Certainly not! You will need a good quality muffin tray, so here’s a link to the one I use.

Of course, you will need a piping nozzle and piping bags if you want to finish them like I have in the photos. I use the 1M star nozzle in this set to pipe cupcakes and piping bags like these.

Do I need weighing scales to bake your gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes?

In short… yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any of my recipes without them. One of the worst things you can do in any baking recipe is alter the quantities by mistake or on purpose.

(unless you know what you’re doing of course)

Why? Well, you’re sort of just gambling with the recipe and praying that it turns out ok. And I’ve generally already done the hard work there for you!

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities so I wouldn’t mess around with them unless you really know your stuff.

Can I bake your gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes with less sugar?

I can definitely understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but this is one of the recipes where I wouldn’t advise removing it from the cake batter itself.

Of course, the sugar isn’t just for sweetness. It’s integral to the structure of the cake once baked and is sooo important.

However, if you want to reduce the overall sugar, you can always omit the Nutella/jam filling, or reduce the amount of buttercream on each cupcake.

Can I make this recipe without xanthan gum?

In some of my recipes, yes, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving xanthan gum out of this one. You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s an essential ingredient in gluten-free baking.

Without gluten to bind the cake batter together, you can be left with a very loose and crumbly sponge texture which won’t work for this recipe.

Some people have asked if they can use psyllium husk powder instead of xanthan gum, but I’ve found that it definitely results in a denser sponge so I wouldn’t overly recommend it.

If you’re really against xanthan gum or you simply don’t have any, you can omit it if pushed. There’s a little in gluten-free self-raising flour anyway, so they should still turn out fine.

Can I make this recipe using other gluten-free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?

There’s a big difference between ‘gluten-free plain/self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten-free flour. When I say ‘gluten-free plain or self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten-free flours, not just one, singular flour.

Most gluten-free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. That’s a lot of different flours!

In gluten-free self-raising flour, there’s usually even a little baking powder and xanthan gum in it too which always helps.

So to replace it with just one specific type of flour… that’s not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten-free flour blend.

How long can I keep your gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes for?

I usually find that my cupcakes last for around 3-5 days in an airtight container. It’s usually eaten by that point, but I wouldn’t recommend keeping it for longer than that.

If it’s any longer than that then I’d highly recommend reading the next question…

Can I freeze your gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes?

Of course! I’ve frozen them for up to a month and after allowing them to fully thaw, you’d never know they were frozen.

Simply leave each cupcake out at room temperature for 4-5 hours to defrost.

How can I tell when my gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes are done?

Grab a skewer and give one a poke in the centre. If it comes out clean, then it’s done!

But if the skewer comes out moist and cake-like, it’s best to pop it back in for a bit longer.

Can I print your gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes recipe?

Yes! Just hit the print button located on the recipe card below (otherwise you might end up printing this entire post which would probably make your printer go into early retirement)

Gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes recipe: Method

Oh and here’s a printable version of my gluten-free ‘Flake 99’ cupcakes recipe. Please remember to give it 5 stars if you tried it and enjoyed it as it helps people know it’s worth trying too! ⭐️ Feel free to leave your written reviews in the comments below this post ??

Gluten-free 'Flake 99' Cupcakes Recipe

Gluten-free 'Flake 99' cupcakes recipe with a Nutella centre - a little tribute to an ice cream I wish I could still eat! Super easy to make at home and nobody would ever know it's gluten-free!

SERVINGS: -15

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