Vegan Chocolate & Raspberry Cupcakes
These chocolate and raspberry cupcakes combine two great flavours with two hidden surprises... raspberries in the sponge and chocolate & raspberry sauce in the centre. To add a little more chocolate to the cupcakes, the buttercream also has a little chocolate in it, then topped with a fresh raspberry giving extra flavour. Neither the cupcakes or buttercream are too sweet, with the fresh raspberries throughout cutting through and adding flavour throughout the cupcakes.
These cupcakes are light and fluffy, not too sweet and have a mild yet recognisable chocolate and raspberry flavour throughout. The buttercream adds a slight sweetness, but not too much, whilst the sweet chocolate & raspberry sauce is a boost when you reach the centre. With only two bowls, a mixer and a baking tray needed, these cupcakes require no fancy equipment... and what's better? They can be made and decorated in less than an hour!
Do I need raspberries?
This is up to you... I like the addition of the raspberries, as they add a little extra liquid into the sponge, as well as the strong flavour of raspberries without the need for any extract. They also add a little change in texture, but if you'd rather just go for the sponge, you could always add a raspberry extract instead.
Why are the raspberries rolled in flour?
The flour stops the raspberries from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes as they bake in the oven. It doesn't affect the actual raspberries as they bake, they will still lose a little juice and hold their flavour.
What's the milk and apple cider vinegar mix?
This mix is essentially a vegan buttermilk; the apple cider vinegar is added to the milk and whisked together. It's then set aside for at least 5 minutes to allow the milk to curdle, as unpleasant as that sounds! This helps with the egg-like texture in the cupcakes. The plant milks that work best are almond and soya - but I use oat milk and even though it doesn't curdle quite as much, it still works well in these cupcakes.
Can I flavour the cupcakes?
The sponge is chocolate (flavoured with cacao powder) and vanilla (flavoured with vanilla extract) and the raspberries carry a strong, natural flavour. That being said, if you would like a stronger raspberry flavour consistently in every bite, then you could replace the vanilla extract with raspberry extract... 1 tsp should be plenty.
Do I need any fancy equipment?
Nope not at all! All you need is two bowls and a muffin tin (or a cupcake tin if you prefer smaller cupcakes). You can make these by hand, but I prefer to use a mixer, so that is the only 'fancy' equipment that you'll need if you don't want to cream the butter and sugar by hand. To hollow out a small portion of the centre of the cupcakes, I use an apple corer, but it can just as easily be done with a knife.
How do I store these cupcakes?
These cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. It would be best to store these in the fridge in their container, as they have fresh raspberries in the sponge which should be refrigerated. But as long as the container is airtight, it shouldn't affect the texture of the sponge at all.
What goes into these chocolate & raspberry cupcakes?
Dairy-Free Milk - when mixed with the apple cider vinegar, this forms a vegan buttermilk, which creates a softer sponge with a lovely texture.
Apple Cider Vinegar - this is mixed with the dairy-free milk to create the vegan buttermilk mixture.
Caster Sugar - the sugar provides the sweetness to the cupcakes.
Dairy-Free Butter - baking block butter works best, for taste and texture in baking, so I'd stick with that.
Plain Flour - this makes up the base of the cupcakes and gives them the texture.
Cacao Powder - this is what gives the sponge and buttercream the chocolate flavour.
Bicarbonate Soda - a small amount of bicarbonate of soda will help the cupcakes to rise as they're baking.
Vanilla Extract - this boosts the other flavours in cupcakes.
Raspberries - they're not chocolate and raspberry cupcakes without the raspberries! These are hidden within the cupcakes.
Icing Sugar - this makes up the majority of the buttercream, along with the dairy-free butter, as well as giving the sweetness to the buttercream.
Chocolate and Raspberry Sauce - this is like a little surprise in the centre of the cupcakes.
These chocolate and raspberry cupcakes combine two great flavours with two hidden surprises... raspberries in the sponge and chocolate & raspberry sauce in the centre. To add a little more chocolate to the cupcakes, the buttercream also has a little chocolate in it, then topped with a fresh raspberry giving extra flavour. Neither the cupcakes or buttercream are too sweet, with the fresh raspberries throughout cutting through and adding flavour throughout the cupcakes.
These cupcakes are light and fluffy, not too sweet and have a mild yet recognisable chocolate and raspberry flavour throughout. The buttercream adds a slight sweetness, but not too much, whilst the sweet chocolate & raspberry sauce is a boost when you reach the centre. With only two bowls, a mixer and a baking tray needed, these cupcakes require no fancy equipment... and what's better? They can be made and decorated in less than an hour!
Chocolate & Raspberry Cupcakes
Total Time : 40 - 45 minutes
Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Baking Time : 20 - 25 minutes
Makes : 16 – 18 cupcakes
Ingredients
– For the Cupcakes –
300g Dairy-Free Milk (I used Oat)
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
330g Caster Sugar
100g Dairy-Free Butter
375g Plain Flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
160g (Handful) Raspberries (in 1 tbsp flour)
30g Cacao Powder
– For the Buttercream –
120g Dairy-Free Butter
600g Icing Sugar
30g Cacao Powder
4 - 6 tbsp Dairy-Free Milk (I used Oat)
Chocolate & Raspberry Sauce (for the centre)
Method
– For the Cupcakes –
Preheat the oven to 160C fan and line a cupcake/muffin tray with cases (I prefer my cupcakes to be muffin size so I use muffin cases).
In a bowl or jug, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar and leave it untouched whilst you make the rest of the cake batter (the aim is for it to curdle, as unpleasant as that sounds!)
Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the flour and bicarbonate soda, mixing until they are combined.
Slowly add in the milk mixture and vanilla extract, making sure to mix it until it’s all combined into the cake batter. Be careful not to over-beat the batter, as too much air in the mix can cause the cakes to sink in the centre when they come out of the oven (something that I’ve done too many times!)
Fold in the raspberries (once coated in flour) and mix until they are as evenly distributed as possible.
Divide the cake batter evenly into two and add the cacao powder to one half of the batter. Mix until it's combined.
Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling the cases between 1/2 and 3/4 full, using both the chocolate and vanilla cake batters. Swirl the cake batters together a little and then place the tray in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
Once baked, take the cupcakes out of the tray and place them on a wire rack. Leave them aside to cool completely, before starting to decorate them.
Once the cupcakes are cool, cut a small hole into the top of the cupcakes extending about half way down and fill this hole with your chocolate and raspberry sauce.
Once they are all filled with your sauce, put them to one side whilst you make the buttercream.
– For the Buttercream –
Cream the butter to soften it, then add the icing sugar and cacao powder, whisking until combined (I use a standing mixer on a high speed with a whisk attachment).
Once combined, add the dairy-free milk (half a tablespoon at a time) and continue to whisk.
Choose your preferred piping nozzle and fill the piping bag with the buttercream, then pipe it onto the cupcakes.
Top with a fresh raspberry and enjoy!
• If you make this, please tag me on Instagram @thecharlotteemilyy or use the hashtag #cebakes •
