theveganpea

These cupcakes are inspired by Erin McKenna’s chocolate cupcake recipe…with a few changes to make them super duper indulgent! They go down a treat with everyone, not only vegans! The key to these is to use the best ingredients available to you! I used pure cacao from a plantation I visited in Bali…but pure cacao is also available on the internet and also at places like Wholefoods. 

Preparation time: 6 hours (including cooking and chilling time)

Ingredients (Makes 12 cupcakes):

Chocolate Coconut Icing:

• 2 cups Unsweetened Soya Milk
• 1/4 cup Balinese Pure Cacao Powder
• 5 tbsp Coconut Flour
• 1 tbsp pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup Agave
• 6 tbsp Almond Flour
• Pinch table Salt
• Pinch ground Pink Himalayan Salt
• 4 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp Coconut Oil melted

Apple Sauce:

• 6 Pink Lady Apples (peeled and cored and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 5 Granny Smith Apples (peeled and cored and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1/2 cup Agave
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
• 1 cup boiling Water

Chocolate Cupcake:

• 1 3/4 cups Chickpea Flour
• 1/2 cup Potato Starch
• 1 1/4 cup Balinese Pure Cacao Powder
• 1/4 cup Arrowroot
• 1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 2 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Coconut Oil softened
• 1 1/3 cup Agave
• 1 cup Apple Sauce
• 3 tbsp pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Instant Coffee (1 cup boiling water with 1 tbsp coffee granules)

Method:

1. In a blender mix the soya milk, cacao powder, coconut flour, vanilla extract and agave  for 4 minutes
2. Alternate between adding the coconut oil and the lemon juice to the blender when mixing for a further 5 minutes until all the oil and lemon has been incorporated
3. Store this icing in a airtight container and leave to cool in the fridge for 5 hours
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius
5. Mix the chopped apples with the lemon juice, agave and cinnamon and bake in a baking dish lined with parchment paper for 35 minutes
6. Once the apples are cooked and soft place at the apples and residual juice into a blender with 1 cup of boiling water and blend until it creates a smooth sauce
7. Store the sauce in the fridge or freeze excess sauce (this makes a large batch and not all of it is needed for this recipe…use it on waffles, pancakes or in other baked goods)
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius again and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases
9. Hand whisk the chickpea flour, potato starch, cacao powder, arrowroot, baking powder and soda, xanthan gum and salt together in a bowl
10. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the oil, agave, apple sauce, vanilla and hot coffee to the mix
11. Whisk the mixture until it forms a smooth batter
12. Fill each cupcake case up to near the top of the cases
13. Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 22 minutes at 180 degrees
14. Remove cupcakes from oven and let sit in the tray for a further 20 minutes
15. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and allow to cool in their cases on a wire rack
16. After 5 hours of the icing being placed in the fridge, ice your cupcakes and you are good to go…get eating!
17. Enjoy my Little Peas!