Raspberry-filled, sugar-free vegan chocolate cupcakes
 
 
This recipe makes 11 cupcakes, with two icing options: vegan chocolate 'ganache' and cream cheese. The chocolate 'ganache' icing is completely refined sugar-free, and go for this if you're after a deep, rich chocolately experience. The cream cheese icing includes some refined sugar (sugar being a minor ingredient in the cream cheese), and brings a salty tangy sweetness to the cupcake.
Ingredients
  • Cake mixture:
  • 1¾ cups wholemeal spelt flour
  • 1 cup organic cocoa powder - its worth buying a good quality organic cocoa powder (in the UK, I buy Green & Black's organic cocoa powder)
  • 2 heaped tsp egg replacer
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tblsp baking powder
  • ½ cup cold-pressed oil
  • 1 cup brown rice malt
  • 1 cup rice milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 11 heaped tsp fruit-sweetened (no sugar) raspberry jam
  • Chocolate 'ganache' icing for 6 cupcakes (no sugar):
  • 9 tblsp raw white almond butter
  • 6 tblsp brown rice malt
  • 6 tsp cocoa
  • 3 tsp brown rice milk
  • 1½ tsp vanilla essence
  • Cream cheese icing for 6 cupcakes (some sugar):
  • 10½ tblsp vegan cream cheese
  • 6 tsp brown rice malt
Preparation
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Line a muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. Sift the dry cake ingredients together in a large bowl, and set aside.
  3. Pour the oil and brown rice malt into a small pan and gently warm over a low heat, stirring with a fork until the brown rice malt 'melts' into the oil (but before it bubbles).
  4. Take the pan off the heat, and use a fork to quickly mix in the rice milk and vanilla.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, continuously stirring with a fork until well combined.
  6. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of batter in the paper cases, then put 1 heaped teaspoon of jam in the centre of each case, topping with approximately 1 tablespoon of batter (being sure to completely cover the jam).
  7. Bake for 20 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.
  8. Cool in the tin for ten minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
  9. To make either icing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a fork.
  10. The icing can be either spooned or piped on. I used a large resealable plastic bag, squeezing the icing into one corner and cutting off the tip, to then pipe the icing onto the cupcakes.
Recipe by The Smug Vegan at http://thesmugvegan.com/?p=361