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.
📖 Recipe
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!
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!