“Are you vegan now?” My friend asked after I Instagrammed these cupcakes. Hells no! But I don’t want anyone to have to go without delicious, normally-textured-and-flavored chocolate frosted cupcakes just because they’re not into butter. Know what I mean?
We’re big on celebrating birthdays at work and one of my colleagues is vegan, so when it’s my turn to bring the treats I like to challenge myself to make a vegan treat that can pass for “normal.” I mean no offense by that, it’s just that some people—my husband for one—kinda balk when you say “vegan dessert”.
Anyhow.
This recipe via the Canadian Food Network (who knew they had their own?) is my new go-to. That is, until I get bored and decide to mix it up again (this was my old go to)
Enjoy!
• Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes •
via The Food Network, Canada
Ingredients
Cupcakes
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
pinch ground cinnamon
1 cup almond milk (the recipe calls for unsweetened but I only had sweetened vanilla and it worked just fine)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (apple cider works too)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Frosting
⅓ cup coconut oil
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons almond milk
Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line muffin cups with 12 paper liners.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large whisking bowl. Add the almond milk, oil, balsamic vinegar and vanilla and whisk well, until the batter is smooth. Spoon the batter into the paper cups (and ice cream scoop makes tidy work of this) and bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.
Frosting
For the frosting, beat the coconut oil and brown sugar well until smooth. Add the vanilla and cocoa powder and beat well. Stir in 1 cup of the icing sugar, beating until smooth and then add the almond milk, followed by the remaining 1 cup of icing sugar, again beating well until smooth and fluffy.
Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and chill until ready to serve.
