Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

These Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes are intensely chocolaty and are so simple to make! They are tender, moist, and topped with velvety smooth vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.

Prep Time30

Cook Time24

Cooling Time1 30

Total Time2 24

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: Cupcakes

Calories: 393kcal

Author: Megan Calipari

Cost: $4

Equipment

1 Hand Mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
2 Mixing Bowl
1 Whisk
1 Cupcake Pan
12 Paper Cupcake Liners
Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cupcakes

1 ¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar
7 tablespoon Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder See Note
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt use half this amount if using table salt
1 ⅛ Cups Non-Dairy Milk
⅓ Cup Canola Oil
1 ½ teaspoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Instant Espresso or instant coffee
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the Chocolate Frosting

8 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature
¼ Cup Vegetable Shortening, room temperature
½ Cup Dutch-Processes Cocoa Powder, sifted
2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1-2 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk

To Garnish

Shaved Chocolate optional

Instructions

Make the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350* F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
1 ¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar, 7 tablespoon Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
In a medium bowl, combine non-dairy milk, canola oil, vinegar, instant espresso and vanilla. Whisk well. Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to form the batter.
1 ⅛ Cups Non-Dairy Milk, ⅓ Cup Canola Oil, 1 ½ teaspoon White Vinegar, 1 teaspoon Instant Espresso, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Portion the cupcake batter into the lined cupcake tin, filling each liner ⅔ of the way. Be sure not to overfill. Bake the cupcakes in a 350* F oven for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then remove them from the pan to a wire cooling rack to continue cooling. Be sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting. See note.

Make the Vegan Chocolate Frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter and vegetable shortening until well combined and fluffy. Then, add the cocoa powder and mix on low until combined.
8 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature, ¼ Cup Vegetable Shortening, room temperature, ½ Cup Dutch-Processes Cocoa Powder, sifted
Next, add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Then, add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk and mix until combined. Add the next tablespoon of non-dairy milk if your frosting is still stiff at this point, but if you don't need it, you don't have to add it.
2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1-2 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk
Use the frosting to frost your cupcakes as desired. Top with shaved chocolate if using and serve.
Shaved Chocolate

Notes

Be sure to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, not natural cocoa powder, for this recipe!

Frosting melts easily, so it's important to make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting them.

You can also use store-bought frosting, or my Vegan Vanilla Frosting or Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting!

Nutrition