Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Delight in these rich and moist Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes filled with a luscious chocolate peanut butter center and topped with a creamy vegan chocolate frosting. Perfectly balanced with cocoa and enhanced by a hint of coffee, these cupcakes are a decadent treat suitable for vegans and anyone craving a dairy-free dessert.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cupcakes
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee (regular or decaffeinated)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup oil (grape seed oil recommended)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup warm water
For the Chocolate Peanut Butter Filling
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (100% real peanut butter)
- 1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup plant milk
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (room temperature, e.g., “Earth Balance”)
For the Chocolate Frosting
- 2 tablespoons plant milk
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
- Prepare the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine all the chocolate peanut butter filling ingredients—peanut butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder, plant milk, and vegan butter. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside.
- Make Cupcake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients—flour, cocoa powder, sugar, instant coffee, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Create a well in the center and gradually add the wet ingredients—oil, vanilla, vinegar, and warm water—mixing until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
- Assemble Cupcakes: Spoon approximately 1 heaped tablespoon of cupcake batter into each lined muffin cup. Then add about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the chocolate peanut butter filling on top of the batter. If there is any remaining filling, divide it evenly among the cupcakes. Finally, top each cupcake with another tablespoon of batter until all batter is used.
- Bake: Bake the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes or until the tops are just firm to the touch. Once baked, allow them to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: In a small bowl, mix all the frosting ingredients except the icing sugar—plant milk, instant coffee, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Then whisk in the icing sugar until the frosting is smooth and fully combined. Set aside until cupcakes are ready to be iced.
- Ice Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, whisk the frosting once more to ensure smoothness, then spread or pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. Allow the frosting to set until dry to the touch before serving.
Notes
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
- Use room temperature vegan butter for a smoother filling texture.
- The instant coffee enhances chocolate flavor but can be omitted or replaced with decaffeinated coffee if preferred.
- These cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- For extra decoration, consider sprinkling with vegan chocolate shavings or cocoa powder after frosting.
Keywords: vegan chocolate cupcakes, chocolate peanut butter filling, vegan frosting, dairy-free cupcakes, vegan desserts, chocolate cupcakes
