Hot Chocolate Cupcakes 🍫

Ingredients

For vegan chocolate cupcakes: 3 1/2 oz (100 g) dark chocolate, chopped, divided

1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut or vegetable oil

2 cups + 2 tbsp (265 g) plain all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 g) cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (200 g) caster or granulated sugar

1 cup (240 mL) non-dairy milk, room temperature (such as almond, soy, rice or oat milk)

1/2 cup (120 mL) warm water

1 tbsp lemon juice

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For vegan chocolate fudge sauce:

1/4 cup (75 g) Nature's Milk condensed coconut milk (you can get it on Amazon here)

2 2/3 oz (75 g) dark chocolate

1/4 cup (60 mL) non-dairy milk (such as almond, soy, rice or oat milk)

1/8 - 1/4 cup (15 - 30 g) cocoa powder (depending on how thick you want the chocolate sauce to be – less cocoa powder will give you a runnier sauce)

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For vegan whipped cream frosting:

3 1/3 cups (800 mL) Nature's Charm coconut whipping cream, chilled overnight (you can get it on Amazon here)

2 - 4 tbsp powdered/icing sugar

chocolate shavings or sprinkles

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Instructions

For vegan chocolate cupcakes: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners. 2. In a heat-proof bowl above a pot of simmering water, melt together the chocolate and coconut (or vegetable) oil. Set aside to cool slightly. 3. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the sugar and whisk well until everything is evenly distributed. 4. Mix together the non-dairy milk, warm water and lemon juice, and add them to the dry ingredients. Pour in the melted chocolate + coconut oil mixture, and whisk well until you get a smooth batter with no flour clumps. 5. Transfer the batter into the cupcake liners, so that each cupcake liner is about 3/4 full. 6. Bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 20 minutes or until the cupcakes have risen, are spongy/bouncy to the touch and an inserted toothpick/skewer comes out clean. 7. Allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

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For vegan chocolate fudge sauce:

1. Combine all chocolate fudge sauce ingredients in a saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat until the chocolate has melted and you get a glossy mixture.

2. Set aside until needed.

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For vegan whipped cream frosting:

1. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer with the double beater attachment, whip the coconut whipping cream (that's been chilled overnight) until soft peaks form, about 5 – 7 minutes.

2. Add the powdered sugar and whisk for a further minute, until the powdered sugar is fully incorporated.

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Assembling the cupcakes:

1. Use an apple corer or a piping nozzle, turned upside-down, to create a hole in the middle of each cupcake. Fill it with the chocolate fudge sauce.

2. Pipe the whipped cream frosting with a piping nozzle of choice (I used a Wilton 1M nozzle).

3. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

4. Enjoy!

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Storage:

1. The vegan hot chocolate fudge cupcakes keep well in a closed container in the fridge for about 2 - 3 days.

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Recipe Credit/s: The Loopy Whisk