Chocolate Cupcakes

Light, rich, and perfectly chocolatey—these cupcakes are pure indulgence in every bite.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups plain flour
1 ¼ cups caster sugar
½ cup good-quality dark cocoa
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup grapeseed or sunflower oil
1 tbsp balsamic or apple cider vinegar
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups water (or cooled coffee)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine evenly.
3. Make a large well in the centre, and pour in the oil, vinegar, vanilla and water (or coffee).
4. Starting in the middle, use the whisk to stir the mixture in a circular motion until it’s combined into a smooth batter. The mixture may have a few small lumps, but these will disappear in baking. Don’t worry.
5. Pour the batter into the baking cups, filling them about 1cm from the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, just below the centre of the oven.
6. They should cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing them.

Ganache Icing:

200g good-quality dark 
chocolate, chopped
½ cup coconut cream
125g dairy-free spread, at room temperature
3 cups icing sugar
chopped chocolate, to decorate

1. Place chopped chocolate and coconut cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering water.
2. Leave it until the chocolate melts, then stir gently to combine. Set the bowl on the bench to cool until lukewarm.
3. Place the spread in a large bowl. Sift in 2 cups of the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add a spoonful of the chocolate mixture and beat to combine. Add the remaining chocolate mixture and beat again to combine. Sift in the remaining icing sugar and continue to beat until smooth.
4. Refrigerate for an hour to set. Then beat again to fluff it up just before icing.
   Spoon the icing into a piping bag and ice the cooled cupcakes. Finish off with some chopped chocolate.