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!
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!