4.17.2012

Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream and Toasted Coconut


Hi. I am a vegan chocolate cupcake and I am awesome.
Please refer to my peanut butter cookie post for more vegan awesomeness ramblings...
but in the meantime let me ramble a little bit about this chocolate cake recipe.
First and foremost it is the easiest cake recipe I've ever found.  It's a two bowl shindig requiring the least amount of elbow grease possible (you stir the dry stuff into the wet stuff in under a minute).  The cake is unbelievably moist with a mellow chocolate flavor.  It pairs perfectly with the almond buttercream and I imagine a dark chocolate buttercream wouldn't be half bad either.  Toasted coconut flakes add the perfect finish, not to mention they look really puuurty. 
 

Chocolate Cupcakes
(I halved the recipe from Sarah Magid's seriously gorgeous cookbook, Organic and Chic )
2 1/4 c organic all-purpose flour
2 c organic cane sugar
1 c organic unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
2/3 c organic canola oil
2 teaspoons organic white vinegar
2 c cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place liners in 2 muffin pans for 24 cupcakes.

In a big bowl, sift all dry ingredients together. set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the vanilla, oil, vinegar, and cold water.

Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry - being careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 20-25 min.

Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting!

Almond Buttercream Frosting

1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4-7 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3 tablespoons milk

Cream butter with an electric or stand mixer, then slowly add powdered sugar and milk.  Mix in almond extract at the end.

Toasted Coconut Topping

Place 2 cups organic, unsweetened raw coconut flakes on a parchment lined baking tray.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes, checking the coconut flakes often!  Let cool before sprinkling on frosted cupcakes.

Enjoy!

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