VEGAN GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Maybe the vegan gluten free baking heavens parted and granted me favor.

Maybe it was the dancing I did while they were in the oven.
Or maybe I finally crafted the perfect mix of carefully measured ingredients.

Let’s talk cupcakes. These gems are:

Fluffy
Moist
Cakey
Super chocolate-y
Perfectly sweet
Undetectably vegan and gluten free
Simply AMAZING

Amazing, 1 bowl chocolate cupcakes that are undetectably vegan and gluten free. Fudgy, moist and insanely chocolatey, and topped with sinful chocolate ganache frosting.

Author: Minimalist Baker

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free

Serves: 11 cupcakes

Ingredients

CUPCAKES

• 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp (9 grams) flax seed meal + 5 Tbsp water)
• scant 1/2 cup (115 grams) Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almond Milk + 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp (73 ml) maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
• 1/3 cup (77 grams) cane or granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (63 grams) melted coconut oil or vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
• 1 cup (~243 grams) beet puree (or sub butternut squash, applesauce, or another hearty fruit puree with varied results)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (if clumpy, sift)
• 1/2 cup (59 grams) almond meal (finely ground)
• 1/4 cup (25 grams) gluten free oat flour
• 3/4 cup (100 grams) gluten free flour blend (*see notes)

FROSTING:

• 1/2 cup (120 grams) Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
• 1 1/4 cup (230 grams) dairy free dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) vegan butter, softened and cut into Tablespoon-sized slices
• 1 1/4 - 2 cups (~150 - 250 grams) powdered sugar

Instructions

1. FOR BEETS: To roast beets, preheat oven to 400 degrees F, drizzle 2 large beets with oil of choice and wrap in foil. Bake for 50 minutes - 1 hour, or until a knife slides through easily. Peel away skins by rubbing foil around and it should shed off easily. Add beets to a food processor or blender and add 1/4 cup liquid of choice (I like a mix of water and orange juice). Blend until creamy, smooth and pourable, scraping down sides as needed. Otherwise, sub another fruit puree, such as applesauce, with varied results.
2. FOR CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line 11 muffins with paper liners, or lightly grease. Also measure out almond milk and add vinegar. Stir and let curdle while moving onto the next step.
3. Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Add baking soda to the almond milk vinegar mixture and stir. It should fizz.
5. Add the sugar, maple syrup and almond milk mixture to the flax egg and beat to combine. Then add beet puree, melted coconut oil, salt and mix.
6. Add cocoa powder, almond meal, oat flour and gluten free flour blend and beat to combine. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk, but it should be perfect. If too thin, add a little more gluten free flour blend + cocoa powder. It should resemble a thin batter that’s pourable.
7. Divide batter evenly between muffin tins (should be enough for between 11), filling 3/4 full.
8. Bake for 29-34 minutes or until puffy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let rest in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then remove and let cool COMPLETELY on a cooling rack. Don’t try to sample early because they need to fully cool or they tend to stick to the wrappers.
10. FOR FROSTING: Add almond milk to your rinsed out mixing bowl from earlier and microwave for 1 minute. (Alternatively, heat in a saucepan until just simmering and then transfer back to mixing bowl.)
11. Immediately add chocolate to warm milk but don’t touch for 2 minutes so it can melt.
12. Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then add softened butter and cover. Let rest untouched for another 10 minutes to meddle.
13. Use your mixer to beat the mixture together. Then add 1 cup powdered sugar, mix again, and place in fridge to set for 20-30 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you tip it and it’s slow to move.
14. Remove from fridge and beat again. If it’s still too thin, add another 1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. I found that chilling for a total of 20 minutes and adding 1 3/4 cups total powdered sugar was perfect.
15. Frost cupcakes generously. You’ll likely have leftover frosting (unless you’re like me). Sprinkles, mint leaves, or fresh raspberries would make the perfect garnish.
16. Will keep well-covered at room temperature for several days, though best when fresh.

http://minimalistbaker.com/the-best-vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/