The best chocolate cupcakes that are rich, fluffy and moist with a gooey chocolate hazelnut spread filling. Top these cupcakes with a fluffy vanilla buttercream before dipping them into Dark Hazelnut Chocolate and topping with extra hazelnuts. These cupcakes are naturally vegan, easily gluten-free and so fun to make!
1 cup of plant-based milk
1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp coffee powder
1 cup & 2 tbsps caster sugar
⅓ cup sunflower oil, or melted and cooled coconut oil
1 cup self-raising flour
⅓ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
⅓ cup dairy-free chocolate hazelnut spread
¼ cup + 3 tbsp vegan butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tbsp aquafaba or plant-based milk
2 bars of Dark Hazelnut Chocolate, broken up
1 tbsp coconut oil
Crushed hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 355* and line a muffin tray with 10 cases.
Stir together the milk and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and leave for 5 minutes to curdle and form a “buttermilk”.
Pour in the coffee, sugar and oil and whisk.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda and add the salt. Whisk to a smooth batter with no specks of flour.
Use an ice cream scoop or large tablespoon to divide the batter between the cases, filling them about 2/3 full.
Bake for 17-20 minutes, until springy to touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the tins and cool fully on a wire rack.
Core the centre from the cooled cupcakes and keep these bits. Warm the chocolate spread for the filling.
Add the butter to a mixing bowl and beat with a handheld electric whisk or freestanding mixer until fluffy. Gradually add I the vanilla, icing sugar and aquafaba or plant-based milk and beat for 2-3 minutes until really fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag with a round nozzle attached.
Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together. Pour into a glass that’s wide enough to dip in the cupcakes.
Fill the cores of the cupcakes with the warm chocolate spread and add on the top piece of cake. Pipe on the vanilla buttercream and dip the cupcakes into the glass of chocolate carefully and quickly, allowing the excess to dip off while turning the cupcakes (don’t leave them upside down too long or the frosting will drop off).
Stand the cupcakes up and sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts. Eat straight away or allow the chocolate to set. Store the cupcakes in the fridge in a sealed container for 2-3 days. Unfrosted and unfilled cakes will keep for up to 1 month in the freezer.
