Vegan Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Double Chocolate Chip Frosting (Gluten Free Option)
Chocolate lover - come on in and make yourself cozy, as this is a cupcake you need in your life. So delicious, so decadent, and so worth it.
Servings: 12 - 14 cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 c. almond milk or other non-dairy milk (237 ml)
- 1/3 c. canola oil (79 ml) non-GMO, if possible
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar (173 g)
- 3/4 tsp. instant coffee
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c. all-purpose flour (140 g) or Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour (160 g)
- 1/3 c + 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (37 g)
Cream Filling
- 1/3 c. vegetable shortening (51 g)
- 1 c. powdered sugar (130 g) divided
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract I like THIS kind
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. almond milk or other non-dairy milk (22 ml) divided
Double Chocolate Chip Frosting
- 2/3 c. vegetable shortening (102 g)
- 2 ¼ c. powdered sugar (293 g) divided
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 5 Tbsp. almond milk or other non-dairy milk (75 ml) divided
- ¼ c. + 2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/3 c. mini chocolate chips + more for garnishing (62 g)
- coarse salt such as Fleur de Sel for topping, optional but recommended
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C. Then, line 12 spots in a cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar, non-dairy milk, oil, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl (or bowl for a stand mixer) stir together the sugar, instant coffee, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Then, sift in flour and cocoa powder and stir again.
- Then, add half of the liquid ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on low until most of the flour has been incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then, add the remaining liquid mixture and mix for another 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spoon or spatula and mix again, this time on high for about 1-2 minutes.
- Using an ice cream scoop or ¼ measuring cup, scoop the batter into the 12 cupcake liners. The liners should only be about 2/3 full.Note: Do not overfill or your cupcakes may overflow during baking.Use a second cupcake pan to make it a total of 13 or 14 cupcakes, instead, if needed.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 22 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted down the center comes out completely batter-free. It’s best to test 3 or 4 cupcakes to be sure. Allow cupcakes to completely cool on a wire rack before adding filling or frosting.
For the Crème Filling
- In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening on high speed for 30 seconds or until shortening is smooth.
- Then, add ½ cup powdered sugar, the vanilla and 1 Tb. of non-dairy milk and cream on low for an additional 20 seconds.
- Add the remaining ½ cup powdered sugar and ½ Tb. non-dairy milk to the bowl and cream on low for 20 seconds, and then on high for an additional 1 – 2 minutes or until fluffy and the mixture resembles frosting.
For the Double Chocolate Chip Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening on high speed for 30 seconds or until it's fluffy and smooth.
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar, the vanilla and 2 Tb. non-dairy milk and mix on low for 20 seconds.
- Next, add the remaining powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, cocoa powder, and salt and mix on low again for 20 seconds.
- Afterwards, switch to high speed and cream for about 1 minute or until the mixture is fluffy and resembles frosting.
- Fold in the 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips with a mixing spoon.
To Assemble
- Add a small round tip to a piping bag or the corner of a re-sealable-type plastic bag and then add the Crème filling. Snip off ½ inch below the tip with scissors to create an opening and then push the tip down to create a snug fit.
- Insert the tip down the center of each cupcake and fill each one with 2 – 3 tsp. of filling. No piping tip? No problem: Just hollow out the center of each cupcake with a sharp paring knife. You'll want to create a cylinder or cone shape about 1 1/2 inches deep and 1 inch wide. Then, proceed to fill with creme.
- Next, add the Double Chocolate Chip Frosting to a separate piping bag with NO TIP (otherwise, the chocolate chips may get stuck in the tip!)Or, use a tip with an extra wide opening, about 1/4 - 1/2 inch.
- Snip off about 3/4 of an inch of the piping bag tip with scissors to create an opening. Pipe frosting on each cupcake. Another option would be to skip the piping bag and frost each cupcake the old school way with a butter knife or off-set spatula.
- Garnish each cupcake with an additional 5 – 10 mini chocolate chips and a generous pinch of coarse salt, which you'll want to crumble with you finger tips as you sprinkle. Regualr table salt will do the job, as well, if that's all you have on hand.
Notes
- For a gluten free version, use your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour in place of regular all-purpose flour. Check the labels for all remaining ingredients to ensure they're gluten free as well.
- Garnishing with extra salt is optional, but I highly recommend it! Using a coarse type works the best, but regular table salt will work, as well.
- If you don't want to use paper baking cups, using silicon baking cups is a great, sustainable option.
- If you're more of a vanilla frosting person, feel free to make extra crème filling and use that as frosting for your chocolate cupcakes.
- Remember to allow your cupcakes to cool completely before adding the filling and frosting.