Vegan Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

What’s one thing that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face? A yummy vegan chocolate cupcake that you can make in the comfort of your kitchen. Whether you’re a seasoned baker, or just craving something sweet, this is a tasty treat for you. So whack out your notes, your mum’s binder or your nans cookbook, and let’s dive right into the best vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe out there.

Spoiler alert, you’re definitely going to want to invest in some M:lk Choc Bars - they take this sexy snack to a whole new level. 

The Inspiration For These Vegan Cupcakes

At LoveRaw, we love a good party - dinner parties, garden parties, themed parties, cocktail parties; you name it, we love it. And as every partier knows, you need to bring something to the table to make sure you bag an invite to the next one. It can be difficult to know what to bring: Do people still like pasta salad? What if no one drinks rosé? 

So it got us thinking: what’s one thing that’s guaranteed to go down an absolute treat?

Introducing our M:lk Choc Vegan Cupcakes, a staple for every party in the year. Whether you and your friends are vegan or non-vegan (or should we say, unvegan), there’ll just be crumbs left by the end of the night. 

The Story Behind Our Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: every great recipe comes with a great story.  

When we think of these cupcakes, we think of good times and good vibes - making them, sharing them, eating them, eating even more of them because we can’t get enough. It's the story of friendship: barbecues that go on well into the night, dinner parties with one too many glasses of wine, catch ups with people that we haven’t seen in far too long. 

Made using vegan chocolate, this cupcake recipe is simple, super easy to make, and so versatile that it's perfect for every occasion. Fluffy, moist cupcakes topped with rich, decadent icing - what more could you want? 

And so here it is: the recipe for the best cupcakes guaranteed to curb your cravings - or kick them into overdrive. Either way, you’ll definitely want to indulge yourself (we like to call it practicing self love!) and they’ll definitely leave you wanting more. 

Ingredients

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients

• 151g plain flour
• 296ml almond milk (to keep things dairy-free)
• 200g sugar
• 125ml rapeseed oil
• 25g cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 
• 2tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ of a Smooth Choc M:lk Choc Bar 

Vegan Chocolate Icing Ingredients 

• 100g cocoa powder
• 500g icing sugar
• 113g vegan butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80ml almond milk
• Salt to taste
• ½ of a Smooth Choc M:lk Choc Bar OR a different flavour of your choice - we would recommend the Caramel M:lk Choc Bar!

Recipe

How To Make Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
2. Mix the milk and apple cider vinegar, and then set aside.
3. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients.
5. Melt the Smooth Choc M:lk Choc Bar.
6. Combine the wet ingredients, the dry ingredients and the melted chocolate in a large bowl.
7. Spoon into cupcake liners or cases.
8. Bake for approximately 16 minutes.

Bish bash bosh. You have 12 light and fluffy vegan chocolate cupcakes just begging for some rich gooey icing to finish them off. 

How To Make The Chocolate Frosting

1. Mix the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 312g of icing sugar, vanilla extract and half of the vegan milk in a large bowl. Start slowly, and increase speed until you have a thick, smooth texture. 
2. Gradually add the extra icing sugar. 
3. If needed, add the remaining vegan milk 1 tbsp at a time to maintain the desired consistency.
4. Melt your chocolate of choice, such as the Caramel M:lk Choc Bar, and combine.

And you’re done! This icing is to die for - it’s so chocolatey and good, we’ll be surprised if it all makes it on top of your cupcakes. We’re guilty of going to town on the mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. And our fingers. If you know, you know. We'd recommend using a piping bag to make those lovely chocolate frosting swirls on top of the cupcakes. 

Serving Up Our Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Presentation is key. While these cupcakes are a dream on their own, jazzing them up makes them perfect for the gram. If we have time to treat ourselves, and our guests, we like to go the extra mile and serve these cupcakes with ice cream, a scattering of summer fruits, a drizzle of melted chocolate, or all three!

People say that the proof is in the pudding, and they couldn’t be more right. These cupcakes are insane, and smell so good from the moment they’re taken out the oven. By the time you’ve iced them, there’ll be no waiting around for a plate and fork. Trust us, you’ll be raring to dive in.

The cupcakes themselves are moist and rich, breaking apart easily. And don’t even get us started on the icing. We’d be here all day, because there’s so much we can say about the topping that looks good and tastes better. The combination of Smooth Choc M:lk Choc and Caramel M:lk Choc is an absolute winner, if we do say so ourselves. 

If you’re going to make these cupcakes, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Instagram. We love sharing our own creations AND the finished masterpieces of our customers. Plus, if you’re anything like us, your day will get so much better once you’ve had your daily dose of baking inspo - nothing sets us up for the day quite like an arrangement of cookies or a stack of vegan chocolate pancakes. 

Baking With LoveRaw

We’re not sure what we enjoy more: creating delicious vegan chocolate bars, or using them in fun and fresh recipes for you to try at home. Either way, it’s a win-win for you - so fingers crossed these vegan chocolate cupcakes tickle your fancy. 

To make this recipe, check out our M:lk Choc Bars. Available in smooth, caramel and orange flavours, you’re spoilt for choice. 

If you have any questions about our vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe, or about our chocolate bars in general, don’t hesitate to contact us! If you can't already tell, we love having a chat.

And if you’re looking for more baking inspo, be sure to check out our other vegan recipes - just don’t do it on an empty stomach, or your bank account is in for a shock.