Perfect Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes + Oreo Cupcakes

What makes a perfect chocolate cupcake? A rich, intense flavour and a fluffy texture come to mind. Those things are not always easy to achieve, especially when it comes to vegan baking. Oftentimes, you're just one hard whisk away from knocking all the air out of your cake batter or over beating it into a goo that ends up tasting more rubber than chocolate-covered cloud.

That's where this recipe comes in. Tried and tested for you, so you can be sure you'll get perfect results every time. You probably already have all the ingredients for this at home, and so the next time you're in need of a treat or a pick-me-up, maybe give this one a go. And if you feel like pushing the boat a bit, top them with shards of Oreo cookies for that extra crunch.

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Ingredients
Makes 24
- 250ml non-dairy milk (soy, almond, rice, coconut, oat...etc)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 100ml sunflower oil
- 150g caster sugar
- 200g self-raising flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Oreo cookies (optional)

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and lemon juice. Leave to stand for two minutes. Add the vanilla, sunflower oil and sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are well-combined.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the wet mixture. Using a gentle folding motion, mix until just combined. Don't worry if there are a few tiny lumps.

Spoon the batter into cupcake liners and bake for 25 minutes. (Alternative version: top the cakes with shards of Oreo cookies). Check to see if they are baked all the way through by sticking a toothpick in the centre of a cupcake - it should come out clean.

Remove the cupcakes from the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack. Initially, the top of the cupcake will feel a bit hard and crunchy. Leaving it to cool for longer (usually overnight) will soften the overall surface. This is why it's usually better to bake cakes a day ahead of serving them.

Serve as they are, or topped with chocolate buttercream.


Top Tips for Perfect Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
1. Do not overmix! You just need to mix lightly to the point where everything is combined. No need to whip and whisk it excessively. If your arms start to ache and you've got sweat dripping down your face, you're doing it wring. Overmixing will only turn the mixture gloopy, and result in rubbery cupcakes.

2. Use high-quality, unsweetened cocoa powder. I recommend Green & Blacks.

Other recipes you might like: Coconut Cupcakes; Chocolate and Peanut Muffins.