Thursday, June 21, 2012

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache


Hello again! I've missed you so. I have no excuses for where I've been hiding. I've just been terribly lazy as of late and caught up in other projects. But tonight, I had to tell you about this little gem - a VEGAN chocolate cupcake with chocolate ganache.

(I've already eaten three, and would be scarfing down more if they weren't promised for a potluck tomorrow.)

I've been doing a little bit of vegan baking lately, inspired by my cousin and one of my son's teachers. I've been very happy with the few recipes I've tried so far. The first recipe I made was from Joanne Choi at Week of Menus. Her pumpkin muffins were a huge hit. I'd been expecting a dense, mealy, tasteless hockey puck and was surprised by how light and fluffy the muffins turned out.

Yesterday I made some peanut butter cookies from Rustic Garden Bistro. They've converted dear ole hubs into a PB cookie fan.

And tonight...oh dear. Tonight, I finally tried a recipe I tore out of Sunset Magazine last year. The recipe is from Chef Chloe Corscarelli, and it won first place on Food Network's Cupcake Wars. I also found a rich chocolate ganache made with coconut oil from The Nourishing Gourmet.

I highly recommend you make these to trick your vegan-hostile friends. They'll be converted immediately.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from ChefChloe.com
link to original recipe here

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners (I made 24 small and 6 large cupcakes.)

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.

Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.


Chocolate Ganache Frosting

adapted from TheNourishingGourmet.com
link to original recipe here

1/2 cup of cocoa powder
3/8 cup of virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup of honey

Sift cocoa into a large bowl. Add coconut oil and honey and stir until well combined.

Spread on cooled cupcakes, top with fresh raspberries, and enjoy!

(I didn't bother melting the coconut oil, nor did I harden the ganache before spreading. However, the cupcakes went right in the fridge after decorating, and the ganache firmed up and should be perfect for serving tomorrow.)


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