Good morning! I hope your week is going well so far. It has flown by on my end. I’m back with a recipe today, and will be posting my 20 Weeks pregnancy update later today and Friday FAQs tomorrow.
As you may know, I’ve been busy revamping reader-favourite blog recipes and shooting new photography for the Oh She Glows Recipe App. As I re-test old favourite recipes, I often find myself improving upon them in various ways (such as easier-to-follow directions, better tips, the addition of metric units of measure, or simply by creating something that tastes even better!). I kept saying that I wished there were a way I could share with you guys both what I’m up to and the recipes I’m revamping! Then it dawned on me…well, why don’t I just share quick, mini posts doing just that? Initially, I brushed the idea off because I’ve never done “bite-sized” posts before, but it could be fun. With summer quickly approaching, short and sweet posts might be nice here and there! So why not turn it over to you, dear readers, and see if this is something you’d be into?
Basically my idea is this: I pop in with a mini recipe post sharing a recipe that I’ve revamped (or, occasionally, a new quick and easy recipe I’ve added to the app) along with one or two new photo(s). There will be a brief hello/update from me, and then the recipe! Boom. Bob’s your uncle. (Wait, do people say that anymore? lol) Anyway, I’d love to hear what you think!
I’m kicking off today with my all-time favourite vegan chocolate cupcakes from way back in 2011. I had a major craving for cake last week (thanks Shari!), so this seemed like the next logical recipe to revisit. I ended up streamlining the written directions/ingredient list, adding metric units of measure (weight/volume), and pairing the cupcakes with a salted buttercream frosting. I also tested a gluten-free version (using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour), however I wasn’t happy with the outcome (the cupcakes were quite dense). I think I’ll have to work on a custom gluten-free flour blend in the future!
Fail-Proof Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield
12 cupcakes
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These are my go-to, never-fail vegan cupcakes! They are the perfect cupcake for all of your celebration needs. You won't believe it when you see how much they rise while baking. I top them with a layer of salted buttercream and sprinkles for a festive twist. They never last long! For the fluffiest cupcakes use all-purpose flour, however the recipe is pretty forgiving so feel free to use white spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour in a pinch (bake times may change slightly). Recipe updated from my 2011 version.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup (220 g) natural cane sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) grapeseed oil*
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (210 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (27 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the salted buttercream:
- 1/2 cup (100 g) vegan butter**
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered icing sugar, sifted if necessary
- 1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons unsweetened almond milk, as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- Sprinkles, for decorating***
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners.
- For the cupcakes: Add the milk, sugar, oil, vinegar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. With electric mixers, beat the wet ingredients on low speed until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until no clumps remain.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just until smooth and no patches of flour remain.
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, about two-thirds full for each.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until the cupcakes slowly spring back when pressed gently with a finger. A toothpick inserted into the centre should also come out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a cooling rack.
- For the buttercream: In a large bowl, beat the butter and vanilla with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
- Add the icing sugar, gradually, while beating on low speed. Now, add in the milk to thin it to your desired consistency, while gradually increasing the speed. I add a teaspoon at a time. If at any point you add too much milk and the buttercream becomes runny, simply add more icing sugar to thicken it back up. You want a nice spreadable consistency that is not runny.
- Add the salt to taste and beat again to combine.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, spread a thick layer of frosting on top of each, followed by a generous amount of sprinkles. Enjoy!
- Leftover cupcakes will keep for a couple days in a sealed container, or you can freeze them for up to 1 month. I freeze them uncovered at first and then once they are frozen solid, I wrap each cupcake individually in foil. Then I place all of them into a large freezer zip bag, pressing out all the air.
Tip:
- * You can also use melted coconut oil in this recipe, however make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature (no cold milk!) to prevent the coconut oil from hardening upon contact.
- ** I use soy-free vegan buttery spread (by Earth Balance), however feel free to use any kind of butter you prefer.
- *** Look for natural sprinkles (without artificial dyes), such as "Let's Do Organic" brand.
Love this idea! There are so many of your recipes that I haven’t tried, so mini posts would be a great reminder to try the ones you revamp that I may never have gotten around to making. These cupcakes look amazing, I will try them soon! Also, I love that you are posting more frequently these days, I missed this space a lot the last few years.
I’ve been drooling over these on your snapchat!
Ahhh, these look amazing! Will definitely need to try! X
Amylaurenxo.blogspot.co.uk
Salted buttercream sounds amazing!!!
Kari
www.sweetteasweetie.com
Love the idea of mini-posts with revamped recipes! I very rarely go digging through recipe archives on blogs, I almost always just take inspiration from whatever my favorite bloggers are currently posting so bringing back those old favorite or newly improved recipes would be awesome!
LOVE LOVE LOVE the mini post idea! Thank you soooo much!
Love the mini post idea! And it’s our anniversary this weekend (21!) so I might just make these as I don’t always get to enjoy whatever cake my family is eating. Have a great weekend!
Aw, happy anniversary, Sarah! I hope you enjoy the cupcakes if you make them :)
Thank you! I made them yesterday and there are only 2 left that we are eating for breakfast ;)
My 12 yo daughter can’t believe they are vegan, so thank you for making our celebration great!
Mini posts—maxi posts—ANY POSTS!!—I think we’ll enjoy them all! I don’t have the right phone for the app, nor am I on the various social medias, so I especially enjoy whatever and whenever you post on your blog. (Yes, I do have your book #1 and have preordered #2. Can’t wait!!).
This recipe looks yummy, as do all your recipes, but I do have a request: I know you can’t address everyone’s dietary specifics, but for those of us who can’t/don’t eat chocolate (gasp! yes, I know I’m in the minority!) I wonder if you can share any tips on substituting with carob? Other than just stirring it into something like (vegan) yogurt or smoothies or oatmeal, I’ve never really experimented with it…..never cooked with it as a substition for cocoa or other forms of chocolate. I’d appreciate any thoughts you have on this!
Thanks for being you— and for sharing yourself with us!
Oh my, I am actually dreaming about making these! Looks gorgeous and tasty!
www.hairwonderfulday.com
Absolutely love the mini-post idea!! Please please do!
Also, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve pre-ordered Book #2…so excited for it to come out!
Thanks so much for your support, Shirin! I hope you love the second cookbook when it finally launches :)
Two thumbs up to both this recipe and the mini posts!
I like that idea. There are some “oldies” here which are some of my favorites.
Also…just want to send appreciation for the beautiful work you do. I’ve been swamped at work, which means I’d rather order takeout than stop and cook a meal, but seeing new recipes download into the gorgeous app inspires me to keep being diligent in making choices that are good for myself.
Finally, I brought your Life Affirming Warm Nacho Dip to a potluck Sunday, and literally every person there said they loved it and wanted to know where to find the recipe. I am so delighted to share the joy of Oh She Glows with them. :-). Maybe I need to buy the book in bulk to give out at potlucks? Hee hee.
Hey Ruth, Oh I’m so thrilled to hear that the app is inspiring you so much! I can relate to feeling the urge to order takeout lately, and I agree that sometimes all it takes is scrolling through some beautiful dishes to ignite the inspiration again. I’m also happy that my Life Affirming Warm Nacho Dip was enjoyed by all. It’s a favourite in this house for sure! Thanks for spreading the love!
Hi Angela,
First of all I just wanted to say that I can tell you are working really hard on your multiple platforms to not let your readers down, considering being a pregnant mom I don’t know how you manage all of that. So I really admire you. Secondly I just wanted to give my two cents regarding this bite sized blog post idea: as readers obviously the more content you give out the better for us, I am just not sure if it will be get kind of confusing to keep track of everything you put out. For example, yes I am one of the lucky readers who has an iPhone and I can see your app, so between your book and your app (the two sources that I can index everything) there’s also your blog in case I see something on your snaps or insta or simply I want something I wonder if you ever blog about it, I feel like i can keep tap of all the contents you had and are putting out. This mini series will be kind of confusing to me to be honest. Like I don’t know if it is a double content from the app or is it something completely new…I just don’t know how it will be. Am I being an OCD reader here? I’m sorry if other android users feel otherwise because after all it is your business and like I said from the start, the more content the better for us after all. Thanks for being awesome. By the way my little family (we have a 19 month old toddler) and I are going to Toronto this summer! So excited. Play date? ;)
I love the idea of mini-posts! Both as an intro to recipes I haven’t tried yet, and to inform of changes or improvements. I was making your crowd pleasing caesar salad not long ago and, knowing most of it off by heart now, I measured in some sesame seeds for the nut and seed parmesan. Went back to double check I hadn’t missed anything and was like heyyyy… I could’ve sworn they were supposed to be in there!
I love the idea of mini posts featuring recipes you’ve re-vamped!! Please do it! ;)
I can’t wait to try these. My man is loving all the dishes I put on our table and I can’t wait to make these treats for him! that damn sweet tooth of his I tell ya!
I hope these satisfy that sweet tooth! :)
They look sooo pretty!!!
http://thehappyvegangirl.com
I just LOVE your metric units of measure ;-) Makes it so much easier for me!
Oh, and I love your recipes – by the way ;-))))
Wish you all the best!
Almut
I’m so happy you find them helpful, Almut! :)
Love the idea of mini-posts!
Yes! Amazing idea as there are still so many recipes of yours that I haven’t discovered!