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Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

How to make the BEST vegan chocolate cupcakes! This easy chocolate cupcake recipe is made without eggs or dairy, and is deliciously moist and fluffy.
Course Dessert
Cuisine baking, vegan
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12 Cupcakes
Calories 237kcal
Author Shivani Raja

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1/3 cup/ 100 grams Dairy-Free Spread I use Vitalite
  • 1/2 cup/ 140 grams Caster Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2/3 cup/ 240 ml Soy Milk
  • 1 1/4 cups/ 250 grams Plain Flour
  • 1/2 cup/ 50 grams Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice

For the Ganache:

  • 1.5 oz/ 50 grams Dark Chocolate roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup/ 75 ml Coconut Milk canned, full-fat

Decoration:

  • 1 tbsp Cacao Nibs optional

Instructions

Make the Ganache:

  • Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan over low-medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges.
  • Take off the heat, and add the chopped dark chocolate. Mix until smooth and store in the fridge overnight, or in the freezer for an hour.

Make the Cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the dairy-free spread and sugars with a wooden spoon. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the soy milk to the larger bowl in 4-5 increments, folding after each addition.
  • Stir in the lemon juice. As the lemon juice reacts with the bicarbonate of soda, the mixture will increase in volume. Fold gently so as to not lose any air bubbles.
  • Divide the cupcake batter between the 12 muffin cases. Tip: use a ladle or ice cream scoop to evenly portion out the mixture!
  • Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decoration:

  • Transfer the cooled ganache to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe on the ganache in a swirl starting from the outside. Sprinkle on the cacao nibs and enjoy!

Notes

  • Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for up to 3 days.
  • If you wish, you can fold in 1 oz/ 30 grams dark chocolate chips to the cupcake batter after step 4, to make triple chocolate cupcakes!