Rich vegan chocolate cupcakes with a purple lavender buttercream frosting. These delicate floral cakes would make an excellent Mother’s Day treat or as part of an afternoon tea.
Firstly, please excuse my non-professional 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?
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!
You could even serve these as part of a vegan afternoon tea for your mum.
Vegan Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes
Delicate lavender paired with bitter-sweet chocolate makes for a dreamy flavour combination in these pretty vegan cupcakes. This recipe has been tested with gluten-free flour too, if you prefer to make them gluten-free.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes
- 175 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder + ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
- A pinch of salt
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 225 g light brown sugar
- 275 ml hot water
- 60 ml sunflower oil, or other mild-tasting vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
For the lavender buttercream
- 1 tbsp dried lavender buds + extra for decoration
- 125 g good-tasting dairy-free butter
- 250 g confectioner's sugar
- A small amount of natural violet food dye, optional
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 sugar 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!
S. Smith says
This recipe calls for confectioner’s sugar; therefore, it cannot be sugarfree. The cupcakes sure look pretty though.
Angel Pendleton says
How is 8 tbls enough to make icing?!
Michele says
What can I substitute the oil for as I am whole food plant based? I’d love to try this
Rebecca says
Can I use Swerve instead of xylitol?
Aimee says
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!
Carla says
Thank you for publishing these in weight! I love accuracy!!!
They are delicious.
Kristine Beal says
I would like to see this in an all US Measurement as I want to make these but am struggling with the conversions.
Aimee says
Underneath the ingredient list you will see “Metric / US” – click the US button to convert the measurements. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Nadine says
The button to convert isn’t there. Are you able to provide the conversions?
ReD says
Hi, do you think I can use essential oil instead of dry lavender?
Your recipe is great by the way.
Kiran says
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?
Tara Renner says
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.
paulina l says
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!
Aimee says
no it’s not additional, just 2 tbsp from the overall amount. good luck, let me know how they turn out!
paulina l says
Thank you Aimee!!!
Kara says
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!!
Meg says
Could you substitute coconut flour? How much more liquid would you recommend adding? Looks delicious!
Celina Lara says
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!
Marlene @ Idle Hands Awake says
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!
Christine Hughes says
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
Stacey says
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!
Aimee says
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/
Stacey says
Sounds yummy thanks!!
Ashly says
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.
Aimee says
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 :-)
Saska says
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 :-)
Aimee says
Thanks Saska, pleased to hear you enjoyed them!
Sarah E. says
What icing tip did you use for these? They are amazing! I’m planning on making them for a family dessert bake off!
Aimee says
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
Aubree Lynn says
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!
Aimee says
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!
Casey says
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!
Aimee says
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!
Katie says
These look so good – can’t wait to give them a go! :)
Aimee says
Thanks Katie! Please let me know how they turn out :-)
Vicky says
These are so pretty Aimee! I’m not a great lover of lavender in my food but I could be tempted by these cupcakes.
Aimee says
thank you, Vicky!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
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!
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
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
Trinity Bourne says
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 :)
Ala says
Afternoon tea! These totally make me want to host a little get-together :) and your icing skills are stupendous, girl!
Georgia Hope says
These look delicious and are so pretty! xx
http://www.chasingbelle23.blogspot.co.uk
Sarah | Well and Full says
What are you talking about, girl?? Your icing skills are sublime!! These cupcakes looks absolutely beautiful :)
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
So – I am trying to find your “appalling icing skills” and failing miserably! These are gorgeous and they sound absolutely delicious!