These Hot Chocolate Cupcakes are filled with dark chocolate ganache and frosted with vegan buttercream frosting. The cupcakes are rich, chocolaty, moist, and fluffy. They are the perfect winter dessert.
THESE HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES ARE:
- vegan
- egg-free
- dairy-free
- fluffy
- moist
- rich
- chocolaty
- filled with dark chocolate ganache
- frosted with vegan buttercream frosting
- perfect winter dessert
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH GANACHE FILLING:
You need the following ingredients to make these Hot Chocolate Cupcakes (the exact measurements are in the recipe card below):
- Brown sugar – adds caramel flavor.
- Coconut oil – The recipe calls for melted coconut oil. If you don’t like coconut flavor, you can use flavor-free coconut oil or any vegetable oil.
- Unsweetened almond milk – Almond milk shout be at room temperature. Otherwise, it will cool the melted coconut oil (which will harden and won’t combine properly in the batter). Use any plant-based milk of your choice (though some kinds of milk such as soy milk can thicken in combination with cider, so you may need to add more of the milk to the batter to have the right consistency).
- Apple cider vinegar – In combination with almond milk, it will create vegan buttermilk. The acidity from the vinegar helps to activate baking soda. You can use lemon juice instead.
- All-purpose flour – makes the cupcakes soft.
- Ground cinnamon – Adds nice spice flavor. It is an optional ingredient.
- Cocoa powder – Use high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder. Make sure to sift it to avoid any lumps.
- Sea salt – Deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Baking soda and baking powder – Raising agents that help the cupcake batter to rise and make it fluffy. Apple cider vinegar helps to activate the baking soda.
- Dark chocolate – Use 55-70% high-quality chocolate bar. Finely chop the chocolate to make it faster to melt.
- Rum – This is an optional ingredient. It adds a slight kick to the vegan buttercream and ganache.
- Vegan butter – Use vegan butter which has around 75-80% of fat (Naturli Vegan Block). Make sure to let the butter soften at room temperature before making the frosting.
- Powdered sugar – Sift the sugar to avoid lumps.
Equipment you need:
- Muffin (cupcake) pan
- Cupcake liner – for 6 cupcakes
- Glass liquid measuring cup – to measure almond milk and mix it with apple cider vinegar.
- 2x mixing bowl – for mixing the cupcakes dough and for the buttercream.
- Sifter – to make sure there are no lumps.
- Whisk
- Hand mixer or a stand mixer – You can make the cupcake batter with a whisk; however, you will need a hand mixer or a stand mixer to make the buttercream frosting.
- Medium-size glass bowl – for dark chocolate ganache.
- Small pot
- Spoon
- Apple corer or knife – to remove the center of the cupcakes for ganache filling.
- Piping bag and piping star tip
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE VEGAN HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:
You will find the instructions and ingredients list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1. Step: Preheat the oven and prepare the muffin pan
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. Step: Make vegan buttermilk
In a glass (liquid measuring cup), combine unsweetened almond milk and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice). Set aside.
3. Step: Make the batter
To the mixing bowl, add brown sugar and melted coconut oil. Mix with whisk. Then add vegan buttermilk and mix again. Sift all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, cocoa powder, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix until just combine. Don’t overmix the batter.
4. Step: Bake the cupcakes
Evenly divide the chocolate batter into 6 cupcake liners (in a muffin pan). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Otherwise, bake for 2-5 minutes longer.
After the cupcakes are baked, make sure to let them cool completely before frosting. If they are still warm, the frosting will melt.
5. Step: Make the dark chocolate ganache
While the cupcakes are baking, fill ¾ of a small pot with water and bring to boil. Add finely chopped dark chocolate bar into a medium-sized glass bowl. Place the bowl on the pot, turn off the heat, and let the chocolate melt completely. Stir a few times with a spoon. Once melted, set aside.
Then, while stirring the chocolate, slowly add unsweetened almond milk (don’t add everything at once!). Stir until combined into a smooth ganache. Add rum and a pinch of salt and stir again until combined.
Place the glass bowl with the ganache into the fridge for about 1 hour (to 1 hour and 30 minutes) until it thickens.
6. Step: Make vegan buttercream frosting
Add soft butter to a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth. Sift half of the icing sugar, mix until combine. While mixing, add 1 tablespoon at a time of almond milk and rum. Sift the rest of the icing sugar, and mix until soft, light, and super fluffy. It can take up to 2-3 minutes.
7. Step: Fill and frost the cupcakes
Us an apple corer or knife to remove the center of the cupcake. Be careful not to slice through the bottom.
Fill each cupcake with about 1 teaspoon of the chilled dark chocolate ganache.
Then frost the cupcakes with the buttercream frosting.
Decorate the cupcakes with mini marshmallows and dust with cocoa powder.
Serve them at room temperature or store in the fridge in an airtight container.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
WITH WHAT ELSE TO FILL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES?
- jam
- homemade Nutella
- pudding
- nut butter
- date caramel
- coconut whipped cream
- vegan cream cheese
CAN I MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES THE DAY BEFORE?
Yes, you can make the cupcakes sponge the day before, store them in an airtight container in a cool place and fill and frost them the next day.
HOW TO STORE VEGAN HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES?
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge.
HOW LONG DO HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES LAST?
Hot chocolate cupcakes will last for about 4 days in the airtight container in the fridge.
IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE, MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING:
- Vegan Hot Chocolate With Rum
- Gingerbread Sheet Cake With Molasses Frosting
- Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
- Biscoff Chocolate Truffles
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment below. Or share your photo on Instagram and tag @plantifulbakery.
HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH GANACHE FILLING (VEGAN)
Ingredients
For chocolate cupcakes:
- 100 ml unsweetened almond milk, room temperature
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, (or lemon juice)
- 80 g brown sugar
- 41 g (3 tbsp) coconut oil, melted
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, (optional)
- 20 g (3 tbsp) cocoa powder
- pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
For ganache:
- 80 g dark chocolate, 55-70%,, finely chopped
- 50 g unsweetened almond milk, room temperature
- pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp rum, (optional)
For the buttercream frosting:
- 100 g vegan butter, soft, (75-80% fat)
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) unsweetened almond milk, room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) rum, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a glass, combine unsweetened almond milk and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice). Set aside.
- To the mixing bowl, add brown sugar and melted coconut oil. Mix with whisk. Then add vegan buttermilk and mix again. Sift all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, cocoa powder, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix until just combine. Don't overmix the batter.
- Evenly divide the chocolate batter into 6 cupcake liners. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Otherwise, bake for 2-5 minutes longer.
- After the cupcakes are baked, make sure to let them cool completely before frosting.
- While the cupcakes are baking, fill ¾ of a small pot with water and bring to boil. Add finely chopped dark chocolate bar into a medium-sized glass bowl. Place the bowl on the pot, turn off the heat, and let the chocolate melt completely. Stir a few times with a spoon. Once melted, set aside.
- Then, while stirring the chocolate, slowly add unsweetened almond milk (don’t add everything at once). Stir until combined into a smooth ganache. Add rum and a pinch of salt and stir again until combined.
- Place the glass bowl with the ganache into the fridge for about 1 hour (to 1 hour and 30 minutes) until it thickens.
- Add soft butter to a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth. Sift half of the icing sugar, mix until combine. While mixing, add 1 tablespoon at a time of almond milk and rum. Sift the rest of the icing sugar, and mix until soft, light, and super fluffy. It can take up to 2-3 minutes.
- Us an apple corer or knife to remove the center of the cupcake. Be careful not to slice through the bottom. Fill each cupcake with about 1 teaspoon of the chilled dark chocolate ganache.
- Then frost each cupcake with the buttercream frosting.
- Decorate the cupcakes with mini marshmallows and dust with cocoa powder.
- Serve them at room temperature or store in the fridge in an airtight container.
For the ganache, you wrote: 50g almond milk, did you mean ml?