These Vegan Blackberry Chocolate Cupcakes are rich, tender, moist, chocolaty, and easy to make. They are topped with blackberry frosting made with homemade blackberry jam. Dairy-free, egg-free.
180mlunsweetened almond milk, room temperature, (or any plant-based milk)
1tbspapple cider vinegar
180gall-purpose flour
40gcocoa powder
1tbspcornstarch
2tspbaking powder
1tspbaking soda
¼tspsea salt
135g(2/3 cup) granulated sugar
120ml(1/2 cup) sunflower oil , (or canola oil)
60g(¼ cup) plain vegan yogurt, unsweetened
Blackberry Jam:
230g(2 cups) frozen blackberries
3tbsp(40g) sugar
1tbsplemon juice
Blackberry Frosting:
350gunsalted vegan butter, softened *
160gpowdered sugar
3tbspblackberry jam
¾tspblue spirulina powder, optional
Decoration (optional):
fresh blackberries
Instructions
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line the muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
Make vegan buttermilk
To unsweetened almond milk, add apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice). Mix and set aside.
Make cupcake batter
In a medium-size bowl, using a whisk, combine all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of sea salt. Set aside.
To a large bowl, add granulated sugar, sunflower oil, and vegan yogurt, and whisk to combine. Add in vegan buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Sift in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Bake the cupcakes
Divide the batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If it looks wet, bake for about 5 minutes longer.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make blackberry jam
To a saucepan, add frozen blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice and bring it to boil over medium heat. You can mash the blackberries with a spoon. Boil and stir for about 8 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (you should end up with about 3 tablespoons of jam). Place in the fridge to chill.
Make blackberry frosting
Add soft vegan butter to a large bowl (alternatively, add the vegan butter to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment) and cream with a hand mixer on high speed until fluffy and lighter in color for about 2-3 minutes. Sift in powdered sugar, and mix until incorporated. Add in blueberry jam and mix until fully combined. If desired, add blue spirulina powder to make the frosting more purple.
Assemble the cupcakes
Using a piping bag with a star tip, pipe a swirl of blackberry frosting onto each cupcake. Top with fresh blackberries.
Serve immediately or store them in the fridge in an airtight container.
Notes
* Vegan butter: Use vegan butter that has around 75-80% fat. Let the butter soften at room temperature before making the frosting.Make sure ingredients such as vegan yogurt and almond milk are at room temperature.
Storing:
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months.Please read my blog post above for tips and helpful information.