Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes (Egg and Dairy Free)

It has been quite some time that my friends have been pestering me to make vegan cakes for them, mainly the criteria being egg free. Not that I haven't paid any heed to it before, it's just that I did try some vegan recipes but wasn't happy with the results.

Some recipes called for sweetened condensed milk, but the cakes turned out to be sticky that I'm not fond of and I think neither are you.

While I was going through my go to book for Cupcakes, I came across this recipe for a pure vegan chocolate cupcake and decided to try this as well. The cupcakes turned very chocolatey and moist and I was pretty happy with the taste and texture. So I guess I have found a delicious and guilt free recipe for a vegan chocolate cake.

This chocolate cupcake recipe is perfect for people who are vegan by choice and for all my friends and readers out there who are or have friends and family that are lactose intolerant or are allergic to eggs.

For an added chocolate touch, just sieve some cocoa powder over the cupcakes followed by icing sugar. Such a treat, especially for kids!

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients
185 grams / 6.5 ounces cake flour / plain flour / all purpose flour
150 grams / 5.3 ounces caster or superfine sugar
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1+1/4 cups water at room temperature
confectioner's or icing sugar for dusting

Method
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tray with cupcake liners.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with a hand held whisk to distribute all the ingredients.

With a stand mixer on medium speed and using the whisk attachment, mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla and the water until well combined.

Switch to the paddle attachment and on lowest speed, add the flour mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as and when needed. Do not panic since the batter would be thin.

Divide the batter equally among the lined cups and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester or a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few dry crumbs attached to it.

Keep the muffin tray on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tray and keep them on the wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cupcakes with cocoa powder and then with some icing sugar.

Enjoy your home made and completely vegan chocolate cupcakes!

Storage Suggestions: These cupcakes can be stored for up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container or frozen for up to a month.

Happy Baking!!!