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!
Love this idea!! Thanks Angela!!
My daughter made these for us this week and they are amazing! The family votes them the best!
Thank you for the fabulous recipe. I am wondering what substitutions would work for the cane sugar in the recipe? Coconut sugar and how much? Or honey? How about white and brown sugar? Thanks.
Hey Caryn, Great question! White sugar is your best bet for maintaining the recipe’s original texture, moistness, and flavour. Cane sugar is actually very similar to white sugar (the most similar of all vegan sweetener options, in fact!). You can substitute at a 1:1 ratio. Brown sugar might work, too, and maybe impart a richer flavour. I wouldn’t recommend substituting coconut sugar here, however, as it can be quite drying; the cupcakes likely wouldn’t be as moist and they might crack on the tops. But if that isn’t an issue for you then knock yourself out! Swapping in a liquid sweetener takes more experimentation and I haven’t tried any yet myself. If you try anything, please let us know how it goes!
These look yummy but for sure would love a gluten free version.
I don’t care what you post Ange – I always love reading everything! These cupcakes look ahhhhhhmazing, and I might just have to make them for a co-worker’s birthday! I’d definitely be interested if you come up with a great gluten-free flour blend. That’s one of the things that always holds me back from baking – I know I’ll need to use a gluten-free flour but don’t trust ones that I buy in the grocery store to work properly. Have a lovely weekend!!
Any tips for those of us who are gluten free? I’m so allergic to almonds so I would sub the almond milk for something else. Thanks for your advice!
Oh chocolate!!! Love the idea of a salted buttercream. And yes to mini posts, why not??? Also, Gena Hamshaw had a great guideline/recipe for custom GF flour blends on Food52, I found it very interesting and helpful….!! Happy friday!
Love the idea of the mini posts! And these cupcakes look so cheerful, perfect for a birthday party! (Today’s Boyfriend’s birthday, so I see cakes and balloons everywhere ;-)
I can’t wait for your 2nd cookbook! When is the release date?
Have a lovely weekend! :-)
Hi Angela, we don’t have earth balance here in Indonesia. Do you think it will work if I use coconut butter or cacao butter instead for the frosting? Thank you
Would love to see mini-posts!
Love it! :D Both the idea and the recipe ;)
yes, more mini posts :)
I love the idea, Angela! I have never tried these cupcakes so your idea is working perfectly for me. Can’t wait to give these babies a try :)
Yay for mini updates! Also, yay for cookbook #2. I’m pre-ordering. It debuts right around my birthday, and I’m waaaay too impatient for someone else to buy it for me. :0 You look fantastic! Hope the home reno’s aren’t too crazy. And thanks for all you do for all of us. It helps to keep me motivated by trying new recipes.
In the buttercream for frosting the chocolate cupcakes, do you use the Earth Balance spread in the tub or the more solid sticks?
These are so cure and perfect in ever way <3
This Fantastic recipe is really mouth-watering… & I love the way you have presented it so wonderfully… Thanks for sharing & your kind attention to detail!!!
Hello,
I’m happy to say that I have tried this recipe! It is delicious! It is my go to recipe for cupcakes now for parties and holidays! Can we have a red velvet cupcake recipe please! Vegan and healthy would be nice!! Thank you in advance!
I’ll definitely keep that idea in mind, Rhonda!
Made these cupcakes yesterday and they were soooo delicious. I gave a few to my friend and she said they were better than the ones she buys at her favourite cupcake store!! They are super moist and the icing was gloriously salty/sweet perfection. Once again another 10/10 recipe! Thanks Ang, you are a genius in the kitchen!!
Oh, I’m so happy to hear you and your friend loved the cupcakes!! Thanks so much for the sweet comment.
Hey there, I love your Oh She Glows cookbook and was wondering if you’d be writing another?
Kind regards,
Claire
Hi Claire, oh, I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my cookbook! Thank you so much for your support. I’m happy to tell you that my second cookbook, Oh She Glows Every Day, is coming out this September 2016 (it’s set to launch on the 6th). It’s actually already available for preorder on Amazon and Chapters/Indigo — release date is getting closer and closer!
Love the idea of mini posts, I’ve followed your blog for a while now & I’d love to see some revamped pictures etc :) Reminds me that I should do the same too!! x
Well I was pretty sure after reading this post that I was going to print this recipe off and give these a try. After reading all the comments on how great they are, I am 100% I will be printing this recipe. Thanks for sharing! Off to the printer I go.
Haha, I hope you enjoy the cupcakes, Paul! :)
This looks nice, i keep on learning thanks again.
Hi Angela!
I’ve been reading your blog for awhile and when I use your recipes, they are always a hit in my house! It’s so crazy but when you were expecting your first, I was too, and our babes are two months apart. Now we both are expecting again!!! I love it! I love how honest you are about your pregnancy. I’m 26 weeks this week and even though I’m having another boy, it has been a waaaaaay different pregnancy. My cervix started thinning at 20 weeks so I’m on modified bed rest (still get to work thank goodness!) and they have me on progesterone. This babe is worth every bit of the struggle though! I’ve made it six weeks and hoping to make it to full term!
Keep feeling well! (AND I’m going to try these cupcakes after my glucose test!) ;)
Hey Sarah, Thank you so much for your lovely note! That’s so awesome our little ones are so close in age. :) Way to stay positive on modified bed rest too. That sounds challenging, but like you said, totally worth it. Hopefully my blog posts will help you pass a bit of time. ;) I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible!
I was craving chocolate (have to love pregnancy cravings) and your email with the link to this revamped recipe is a life safer. I just made them and they smell delicious! Now I only have to work on my patience and let them cool.
I am originally from Germany so I am used to the metric measurements and love that you put them behind the US measurements. I personally think they are more accurate than the US measurements. The only thing I noticed for me is, that 1.5 cups of flour would have been 186g instead of the 210g with the flour I used, so I did go with yours.
Thank you so much for you constant inspiration to cook and bake, and I so can’t wait for your new cookbook to come out (I just pre-ordered it today)
Thanks so much for your support Chrissi! I hope you absolutely love the new cookbook when it comes out. :) Did the cupcakes satisfy your chocolate craving? I sure hope so! Congratulations on your pregnancy – sending you lots of well wishes!
They turned out amazing and made my neighbors and my day. And I am making them again right now as mini cupcakes.
These look amazing! I’m excited to try for my daughter’s birthday! We are an allergy household and use your recipes for much of our cooking!! Have you ever tried these in cake rounds? If so, any tips? Thank you in advance!
Looks amazing! I am allergic to nuts; do you think coconut milk would work as a substitute for the almond milk?
Hey Ali, Yes I think most non-dairy milks would work in this recipe! Let us know if you try anything out.
I made these the other day (though without the frosting, I am not a frosting person), and SO SO good. Though I do have a question: If I wanted to go from “cupcakes” to “layer cake” or “sheet cake” what kind of modifications to either ingredients or cook time or temperature would I need to make?
So glad you enjoyed the cupcakes Lyn! :) This cake recipe is wonderfully versatile and I’ve had success baking it many different ways. I have a recipe for a double-layer vegan chocolate cake (with instructions on how to make it into a sheet cake, too) in The Oh She Glows Cookbook on page 249, which was adapted from these cupcakes. Hope this helps!
Love finding great vegan recipes for normal things … like cupcakes! I bet my gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour would be great in this recipe (lighter and finer than Bob’s). I can’t wait to try it! If you try it first, let me know what you think – far easier than creating your own blend for each recipe. :)
https://gfjules.com/product/gfjules-gluten-free-flour/
~jules
They look beautiful and delicious! and they seem very easy to make! I need to try them :)
The fact that these cupcakes turned out perfect despite all the mistakes I made says a lot. I wasn’t concentrating so I put the sugar in with the dry ingredients rather than beating it with the wet ingredients first. I also used coconut oil but forgot the part about not adding it to cold almond milk to avoid it solidifying. And yet they still came out amazing! They were delicious, light, fluffy and not too sweet at all. I used all spelt flour so they weren’t as challenging on my stomach as wheat flour. I didn’t bother making the buttercream as I just wanted to have a simple, easy and enjoyable hour of baking for the first time with my 2 year old daughter (hence the lack of full concentration!) but I imagine they’re even more delicious when the entire recipe is made. I’m not joking, I ate 5 of them over the course of an afternoon and evening! They’re not great ‘for vegan cupcakes’ – they’re great compared to any cupcakes. Thanks for a wonderful recipe – I will be making again!