Vegan Chocolate and Walnut Cupcakes

Here are my very chocolatey vegan chocolate cupcakes with walnuts.
You can make them without walnuts if you prefer a smooth texture.

This cake mixture also works for a round cake tin for a birthday cake base. You will need a longer baking time of 40-45 minutes for one big round cake.  I made the round cake version with orange flavour by adding zest of one orange to the cake mixture.  I also spread a good orange marmalade in in the middle when the cake become cool enough to slice.
To add more indulgent chocolate flavour, you can decorate the cake with melted plain chocolate (don't use milk chocolate! It's a vegan cake after all. )

My vegan friend approved so I must have done the right thing. :)

Ingredients (12 cupcakes)

• 200g (7 oz) self-raising flour 
• 200g (7 oz) caster sugar
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons (74ml) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or white vinegar)
• 250ml (8 fl oz) water
• 70g chopped walnuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. 
2. Sieve together the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, lemon juice and water.  Mix together until smooth. Add walnuts.
3.  Pour into prepared muffin tin and bake at 180 C for 20-25 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
5. Decorate with cocoa icing (cocoa + icing sugar +water) and crushed walnuts. 

Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients (12 cupcakes)

• 175 g dark brown soft sugar, sifted 
  
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons mixed spice (or cinnamon + ginger)
• 70 ml sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 200 g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
• 175 g dried mixed fruit
• 200ml water
• 1 Earl Gray tea bag

Method

1. Boil the water and pour over dried fruit and a Earl Gray tea bag. Soak the dried fruit in the hot tea for 2 hours.
2. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C).
3. Mix the carrot, orange zest, dried fruit with tea and oil.
4. Then sift together the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into the bowl.
5. Stir all this together, then pour the mixture into the prepared muffin tin and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
6. When the cupcakes are completely cold decorate with creme fraiche and icing sugar topping and sprinkle with cinnamon. 

Dairy free cranberry and chocolate muffins

No milk in the fridge .... fear not ... you can still make muffins without milk. 

If I say without milk, that doesn't mean you need substitute stuff like soya milk or oat milk.  

You can actually make muffins simply using water instead of milk.   

I recently discovered that I could bake cake without eggs and milk when I tried to make vegan cupcakes. When I found there was no milk in my fridge, I thought to myself I still could make muffins using water like I made vegan cupcakes the other day.  :)

I used an egg as I had some eggs in the fridge. So, these muffins are dairy free but not totally vegan. 

They have a lovely chocolaty flavour and very light.  

Ingredients 

• 200g plain flour (if you use self raising flour, no need to add baking powder) 
• 150g sugar
• 20g cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼  tsp Salt
• 100ml water 
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• Vanilla extract
• 120g fresh cranberries 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200 C / Gas 6 and add paper cases to a muffin tray.

2. Measure out flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix the dried ingredients well.

3. Measure water and oil in a large measuring jug. Add egg and vanilla, then whisk well.

4.  Add the wet mixture (3) into the dry mixture (2).  Stir until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).        Do NOT over mix!

5. Gently fold in cranberries.

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.