3/4 cup sugar use coconut organic brown, or organic granulated
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup hot brewed coffee or hot water
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup avocado oil or another neutral vegetable oil of your preference
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegan caramel sauce
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons coconut oil*
1/3 cup coconut cream
Vegan caramel buttercream
1/2 cup vegan butter or shortening, or a combo of both
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup vegan caramel sauce recipe above*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-3 teaspoons non-dairy milk if needed
Instructions
For the vegan chocolate cupcakes
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Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners, or grease it well.
Mix flour, cocoa powder, sugar, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Sift mixture and set aside.
Mix hot coffee (or water), apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, and vanilla in a measuring cup.
Pour over dry ingredients. Mix with a whisk to incorporate.
Distribute batter evenly between the 12 cupcake tins.
Bake for 12-16 minutes, rotating the pan in between.
For the vegan caramel sauce
Place sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Stir sugar constantly until it melts.
Make sure to stir non-stop, so the sugar has a chance to melt evenly.
When you see the very last beat of sugar melting, quickly remove pan from the heat and immediately pour coconut oil and coconut cream in the pan.
Be very careful doing this step, because the mixture will splatter all over the place, and it will be HOT!
Stay safe and try to use a larger pan, and a long spoon to stir, so you don’t get burned.
Some of the sugar will crystalize once you add the coconut oil and coconut cream in.
Return mixture to the heat, keep stirring and cooking mixture for 1-2 minutes.
Never stop stirring. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until all the sugar has re-melted and mixture is thick and smooth.
If you would like to make salted caramel, add 1/2 teaspoon, or more to taste, at this point.
Remove to a heat-proof bowl.
Let it cool completely before using.
For the vegan caramel buttercream
Place vegan butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Cream butter at medium-high speed for 1 minute.
Add sifted powdered sugar. Cream to combine for another minute.
Add cooled down, room temperature caramel sauce. Again, cream at medium speed to combine. The caramel sauce needs to be at exactly room temperature for this.
If mixture seems too stiff, add a bit of non-dairy milk or water. And by a bit I mean 1 teaspoon at a time, always mixing in between before adding any more.
Add vanilla.
If buttercream seems too runny, add more sifted powdered sugar.
If it seems too stiff, add more milk or water to make it smooth, one teaspoon at a time.
To assemble
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After cupcakes have cooled down, remove the center of each cupcake with a spoon.
Spoon some caramel sauce in the middle of each cupcake. Top with the piece of cupcake you removed. Make sure the caramel is at room temperature when you fill your cupcakes. It can’t be warm, and if it’s cold you won’t be able to fill the cupcakes.
Place the caramel buttercream in a piping bag fitted with the tip of your choice. Pipe it over the cupcakes.