Small Batch Black Cocoa Cupcakes (Vegan)
These black cocoa cupcakes are a sweet, chocolatey, decadent treat. They are easy to prepare, dairy-free, and too tasty to pass up.
Looking for a decadent, small-batch treat that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious? Give these black cocoa cupcakes a try. The recipe makes 6 super moist, super tender, chocolatey rich cupcakes topped with a luscious black cocoa buttercream. They come together with minimal effort and are dairy- and egg-free. The perfect dessert for a small gathering or just treating yourself.
What you will need:
Black cocoa powder is a must for this recipe. I added a little coffee to this recipe. I used cold brew, but feel free to use hot coffee or even instant coffee. The rest of the ingredients are all basic pantry items. If you have trouble finding the black cocoa powder (I could not find it locally), it can be ordered from Amazon.
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- black cocoa powder
- cane sugar
- brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
- oil – I used olive oil
- plant based yogurt
- coffee
- plant based milk
- salt
- powdered sugar
- plant based butter with salt
- plant based heavy cream
How to:
Preheat your oven to 350F and prep your cupcake pan by greasing 6 cups or lining them with paper liners. Next, we want to bloom the black cocoa powder. To a small bowl, add the milk and coffee. Heat the mixture up (you want it warm to the touch). To the warm liquid, add the cocoa powder. After thoroughly mixing the ingredients, set the bowl aside for at least 5 minutes.
To a small bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk the dry ingredients together until well combined and set the bowl aside. To a medium bowl, add the cane sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Whisk the sugars and oil together until well combined, about a minute. Add the yogurt, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the sugar mixture and whisk for another 30 seconds to a minute. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine. Add the rest of the flour and the rest of the cocoa. Stir until well combined.
Divide the batter among your 6 cups and bake the cupcakes for 23 -25 minutes. The tops should bounce back slightly, and a toothpick inserted should come back with just a few crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to rest in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Once the cupcakes reach room temperature, they are ready to frost.
Let’s make the buttercream while the cupcakes are cooling. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter. Cream the butter on medium-high speed with a balloon whisk attachment for 2 to 3 minutes. To the creamed butter, add the powdered sugar and black cocoa powder. I suggest sifting the powdered sugar and black cocoa powder before adding them to the creamed butter; in my experience, cocoa powder likes to clump. Continue whipping on medium-high for another minute or until all the ingredients come together. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream to the bowl and continue whipping on medium-high for another 3 minutes. Fill a piping bag, fitted with the tip of your choice, with the buttercream. Pipe equal amounts of frosting over each of the 6 cupcakes. The cupcakes are ready to be served once they are frosted. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.
Alright, let’s get started. Please make, bake and enjoy!
Small Batch Black Cocoa Cupcakes (Vegan)
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ½ cup + ½ tbsp / 64 grams all purpose flour
- 4 tbsp / 28 grams black cocoa
- 4 tbsp / 48 grams cane sugar
- 4 tbsp / 48 grams brown sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ heaping tsp baking powder
- ¼ heaping tsp baking soda
- 5 tbsp + 1 tsp plant based milk
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp coffee – fresh brewed, cold brew or even instant
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp plant based yogurt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp almond extract
- pinch salt
Frosting
- 2 cup / 240 grams powdered sugar
- 8 tbsp / 113 grams plant based butter – room temperature
- 2 tbsp plant based heavy cream – cold
- 4 tbsp black cocoa
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Prep your cupcake pan by greasing 6 cups or lining them with paper liners.
- To a small bowl, combine the milk and coffee. Heat the mixture up (you want it hot to the touch) and add the black cocoa powder to it. Stir the mixture until well combined and set aside. We are letting the cocoa bloom, allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes.
- To a small bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; whisk to combine and set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the cane sugar, brown sugar and oil: whisk until well combined – about 1 minute. Add the yogurt, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the cocoa mixture. Stir to combine. Add the rest of the flour and the rest of the cocoa. Stir until well combined.
- Divide the batter among your 6 cups and bake for 23 – 25 minutes. The tops should bounce back slightly and a toothpick inserted should come back with just a few crumbs.Allow the cupcakes to rest in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cupcakes are ready to frost when they reach room temperature.
Black Cocoa Buttercream
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter. Cream the butter on medium-high speed with a balloon whisk attachment for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Continue whipping on medium-high for another minute. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream and continue whipping on medium high for another 3 minutes.***I suggest sifting the powdered sugar and black cocoa powder before adding to the creamed butter.
- Fill a piping bag, fitted with the tip of your choice, with the buttercream. Pipe equal amounts of frosting over each of the 6 cupcakes.
- The cupcakes are ready to be served once they are frosted. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.
