Chai Cupcakes with Whipped Ganache (Vegan)
These simple-to-make cupcakes feature a soft, tender crumb infused with warm spices and are crowned with a rich, dark chocolate whipped ganache. A delightful, dairy- and egg-free dessert that's bound to impress.
Ingredients
Chai Cupcakes
- 270 grams / 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- 1½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- 200 grams / 1 cup cane sugar
- 56 grams / 4 tbsp plant based butter with salt - room temperature
- 60 grams / 4 tbsp oil - I used light olive oil
- 180 ml / ¾ cup plant based milk - room temperature
- 120 grams / ½ cup plant based yogurt - room temperature
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Whipped Ganache
- 400 grams dark chocolate - broken into pieces
- 400 ml plant based heavy cream
- 28 grams / 2 tbsp plant based butter with salt - room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Whipped Ganache
- Break the chocolate up into pieces and place them in a medium bowl.
- Pour the cream into a small pot and heat it over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Remove it from the heat as soon as it starts bubbling. Stay nearby and stir frequently while the cream is warming.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add the butter and vanilla extract and stir until everything is fully incorporated.
- Set the bowl aside until the ganache cools to room temperature, stirring occasionally to keep it smooth. This process took about an hour and a half. Once the ganache reached room temperature, I put it in the refrigerator to speed up the thickening, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. When it reached a pudding-like consistency, I removed it from the refrigerator.
- Transfer the thickened ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk attachment. Whip the ganache on medium-high to high speed for 5 minutes. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with the piping tip of your choice and pipe equal amounts of ganache over the tops of each cupcake.
Chai Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two cupcake pans by placing liners in 16 cups.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk everything together and set the bowl aside.
- In a large measuring cup, combine the milk, yogurt, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk everything together, then set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter, oil, and sugar. Using a handheld mixer, blend them together on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.
- Mix half of the wet ingredients into the sugar mixture and blend on medium speed for about 15 seconds. Then, add half of the dry ingredients and blend again on medium speed for another 15 seconds. Next, pour in the remaining wet ingredients and blend for 15 seconds. Finally, add the rest of the dry ingredients and blend for 15 to 30 seconds, or until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Evenly distribute the batter into 16 lined cupcake cups. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Once completely cooled to room temperature, pipe the whipped ganache on top.
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.