Low Fat Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from The Happy Herbivore

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 cup chocolate nondairy milk (or plain)
1 tsp mint extract (or vanilla)
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a muffin tin or spray paper liners with cooking spray. 

2.     In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, nondairy milk, and extract. 

3.     In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together. Add flour mixture to wet mixture in 3 to 4 batches, until almost combined. 

4.     Add chips and stir until just combined. 

5.     Spoon batter into cups 3/4 full and bake 15-25 minutes. 

6.     Meanwhile, prepare the icing. Combine 1 cup Confectioners’ sugar with a few drops of food coloring, 1/4 tsp vanilla or mint extract, and a splash of plain nondairy milk or water, and mix until a nice paste-like icing results. (Add more sugar for thickness, more liquid to thin it out) Adjust food coloring. Once cupcakes are cool, slather icing and garnish with holiday candy.

I made these cupcakes twice. The first time I made them, I used paper liners and forgot to spray them with cooking spray. Big mistake. Because there’s no oil in the cupcakes, the batter stuck to the liners and it made it near impossible to separate the cake from the liner. 

I also had an issue with the huge range of cooking time. Fifteen to twenty-five minutes is a big gap. I went the full 25 minutes and that was definitely too long for my oven. Because you have chocolate chips in the recipe, sticking a toothpick in the center will not come out clean and you may over bake. It’s better to tap the top of the cupcake to check for firmness/doneness.

The second time I baked them, I used liners with foil. This worked out much better and there wasn't a need to spray the liners. I also cut the cooking time to 22 minutes. This was the perfect amount of time. 

I tried twice to make the icing and failed miserably. The first time I made the icing, it was too wet (which, ironically, I prefer). The second time, I added a lot more sugar to get the "paste-like" texture and that was too thick. It was hard to pipe and without any fat, it separated and "melted." 

I would definitely recommend the cupcake recipe but not the frosting. You're better off with a buttercream frosting or adding a little corn syrup to the recipe.