Firstly, please excuse my appalling icing skills. It’s never been my forte, I’m afraid but I promise it tastes really good!
That’s the most important thing, right?
These cupcakes are inspired by an old (non-vegan) recipe of mine for chocolate lavender cupcakes. I adored these cupcakes and have been meaning to make a vegan version for a while now. So here they are!
The recipe is based on Nigella’s “accidentally vegan” Dark Chocolate Cake – which is DELICIOUS.
I’ve made it numerous times now and have adapted it so much in the process (not that it needed it but just because I can’t leave a recipe alone) that I’ve created my own version of it using spelt flour and coconut sugar.
I’ve also tested her recipe using gluten-free flour and it works very well, I’m pleased to report. So feel free to use equal amounts of gluten-free flour for these cupcakes if you wish to make them gluten-free. 
The cupcakes are rich, despite the chocolate flavour coming from just cocoa powder alone, and fluffy yet gooey. Chocolate cupcake perfection!
The buttercream is sugar-free and is simply made with a good-tasting dairy-free butter (I use Vitalite) some powdered xylitol and a drop of natural purple food dye.
Mother’s Day is in a couple of weeks time here in the UK (March 6th) and these cupcakes would make a wonderful baking gift. My mother certainly approves!
You could even serve these as part of a vegan afternoon tea for your mum. 
Vegan Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the sugar-free lavender buttercream
- 1 tbsp dried lavender buds + extra for decoration
- 125 g good-tasting dairy-free butter
- 200 g xylitol, mixed in a blender on high power for a few minutes until it turns to powder*
- A small amount of natural violet food dye, optional
For the chocolate cupcakes
- 175 g spelt flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- A pinch of salt
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 225 g coconut sugar**
- 275 ml hot water
- 60 ml sunflower oil, or other mild-tasting vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
To make the buttercream frosting
- Heat 2 tbsp of the dairy-free butter in a small saucepan with the lavender buds. Strain and allow the butter to re-solidfy in the fridge or freezer.
- Once the butter has set again, mix it with the rest of the butter in a stand mixer along with the powdered xylitol and a small amount of purple food dye until you have a thick, fluffy buttercream. Keep refrigerated until use.
To make the chocolate cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180c. / 350f. and line a muffin tray with 12 cases.
- Mix the first five ingredients together until well combined.
- Stir in the remaining wet ingredients until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
- Divide the mixture equally between the 12 muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes. Use a cake tester or skewer to test the middle of the cupcakes come out clean. If not, bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Leave to cool before frosting.
- Transfer the frosting to a icing bag and pipe on top of the cupcakes. Decorate with dried lavender buds and serve!
Notes
*Xylitol is a natural sugar-free sweetener, available in most health food shops or supermarkets. Can be used 1:1 granulated white sugar.
**Coconut sugar is a natural, low GI alternative to brown sugar that you can find in most health food stores. If you prefer, you can use brown sugar in it's place 1:1
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How is 8 tbls enough to make icing?!
What can I substitute the oil for as I am whole food plant based? I’d love to try this
Can I use Swerve instead of xylitol?
I don’t have experience with that sweetener so not sure if you can replace it 1:1 or how it would effect the flavour but I imagine if it’s suitable for baking, then it should be fine to try it!
Thank you for publishing these in weight! I love accuracy!!!
They are delicious.
I would like to see this in an all US Measurement as I want to make these but am struggling with the conversions.
Underneath the ingredient list you will see “Metric / US” – click the US button to convert the measurements. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
The button to convert isn’t there. Are you able to provide the conversions?
Hi, do you think I can use essential oil instead of dry lavender?
Your recipe is great by the way.
Hi – I have a 7yro bday party coming up for my daughter and am wondering if I can make these into a cake shape instead? She wants a 2 tier cake. Do you think the icing would hold in teh middle layer?
Hi, here are American conversions:
175 g = 3/4 C
50 g = 1/4 C
225 g = 1 C
275 ml = approx 1 C or 10 oz
60 ml = 2 oz
I did attempt this recipe this morning for an Easter dinner. I don’t know what I did wrong, but I ended up with a bowl of chocolate soup. Way too much liquid for the dry ingredients. Any suggestions? I decided to go with a box mix as I was running short on time, but I did use the icing recipe. I would like to try this again though, it sounds so good.
is it 125g butter + 2 tablespoons of additional butter? or is it 2 tablespoons of butter out of the 125g of butter? i’m planning on making this for my birthday on friday. so any help would be great! its my first time making cupcakes from scratch. thank you!
no it’s not additional, just 2 tbsp from the overall amount. good luck, let me know how they turn out!
Thank you Aimee!!!
I made this recipe today and have a request: could you please translate measurements to cups? I was lucky to have a scale handy to use, but I’m an American so otherwise, it would have been a lot of math!! : ) Yes, I know to google for conversions, but still…. Also, I used confectionary sugar instead. The frosting came out quite thick and I didn’t have enough to put very much on each cupcake. Otherwise, they are delicious and I love the lavender and chocolate combination!!
Could you substitute coconut flour? How much more liquid would you recommend adding? Looks delicious!
I made these this Easter and everyone went crazy over them! They couldn’t believe they were vegan, haha!
Would I be able to use stevia in place of the coconut sugar in the cupcakes, and if so what would you suggest for the amount?
Thanks so much! Definitely saving this fabulous recipe!
Oh my goodness, just used your lavender frosting recipe today on carob cupcakes (I can’t eat chocolate), and it was phenomenal! I have never eaten lavender before and didn’t expect the flavor to be so strong (in a good way!). Soooo delicious and my relatives at them up!
Has any one tried baking this as a large cake? Would it be suitable as a wedding cake tier?? My daughter and partner are vegans and want a vegan wedding cake with each tier flavoured with, Rose, Lavender and elderflower. I’ve got your Elderflower with lemon curd and white chocolate recipe that I though I might use, unless anyone has a good vegan vanilla cake recipe that I could just add the flavour to? I hope the great bakers out there can help me! Thank
These look amazing! We don’t have a gluten intolerance so I prefer to use organic whole wheat pastry flour. Do you know the substitute equivalent? Also, Do you know if it’s possible to use coconut sugar in place of the xylitol? Otherwise I’d probably just use organic white sugar…thanks!! Can’t wait to try them!
Hi Stacey – sure, the gluten-free flour is only optional! Just use the same amount of normal flour :-) And yes, same amount of coconut sugar should be delicious. I do have another vegan chocolate cupcake recipe here, which uses that: http://wallflowerkitchen.com/black-forest-cupcakes-vegan-gf-option/
Sounds yummy thanks!!
My best friend made these for my birthday earlier this year and they were amazing! So good in fact, ‘o one cared just how “healthy” they were. I made these tonight for a dessert contest my office is having tomorrow. I tried to get actual digestible lavender essential oils, however, they didn’t ship in time. The only thing I am always curious about is if you leave them sit out or put them in the fridge. I never want to mess up the consistency! I did however use ghee instead of dairy free butter. The flavor is absolutely to die for.
So happy you liked them, Ashly! I usually keep them in the fridge just to keep them fresh but they should last at room temperature for a few hours or so. Hope that helps :-)
Hi, have made these and they turned out great. The chocolate base is to die for, only the icing was overwhelmingly sweet (even for my sweet tooth friends). Will make again but with less sweetener :-)
Thanks Saska, pleased to hear you enjoyed them!
What icing tip did you use for these? They are amazing! I’m planning on making them for a family dessert bake off!
Oh Thank you so much, Sarah! I used a large star nozzle (not sure what the exact size was but it was quite big)
Let me know how you get on :-) Enjoy
So I made them, and they are to die for! I didn’t do everything vegan, I went with regular brownsugar and that sort of thing, The cake itself is so perfect and I am seriously in love with the lavender! I’m a culinary student and we have a club meeting next week, I am definitely going to make these again!
I am SO happy to hear that, Aubree! I use brown sugar when I don’t have coconut sugar to hand and it’s definitely still delicious :-) So pleased you enjoyed it and good luck with culinary studies – would have loved to have done that myself!
Sounds so good! But… I don’t know how to measure things in grams and milliliters. Do you use a kitchen scale for that? Would you happen to know the conversions in cups? Thank you!
Hi Casey, so sorry for the late response! I’m afraid if it’s not in the recipe, then it means I haven’t tested the cup measurements. You would have to google the measurements or use a kitchen scale. Sorry I can’t be more help and let me know if you make it!
These look so good – can’t wait to give them a go! :)
Thanks Katie! Please let me know how they turn out :-)
These are so pretty Aimee! I’m not a great lover of lavender in my food but I could be tempted by these cupcakes.
thank you, Vicky!
This is the most beautiful dainty creation I’ve seen! One of those times where I’m not sure if I want to eat it or save it because it’s so pretty…but of course I would probably end up eating it because chocolate <3 They are perfect Aimee!
Appalling icing skills? Are you kidding me? If I could pipe a swirl that good, I would be ecstatic!
The cakes are beautiful and sound delicious! x
They look and sounds absolutely amazing. Ahem icing skills!!! You obviously haven’t checked out my icing skills if you think that yours are appalling :)
Afternoon tea! These totally make me want to host a little get-together :) and your icing skills are stupendous, girl!
These look delicious and are so pretty! xx
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What are you talking about, girl?? Your icing skills are sublime!! These cupcakes looks absolutely beautiful :)
So – I am trying to find your “appalling icing skills” and failing miserably! These are gorgeous and they sound absolutely delicious!