Chocolate Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

While not super fancy, these cupcakes are sure to please the kids and adults in your life.

The recipe provides an excellent, almost “no fail” type of cake, while the frosting is over-the-top chocolatey.  I think it’s the best chocolate frosting I have made so far, and it goes really well with this simple white cake.  Honestly, the cake itself is just a tiny vehicle for all of that awesome frosting.

Instead of experimenting with my own GF flour mixture on these, I decided to use up the last of my GF Namaste Perfect Flour Blend.  I just subbed the same amount where regular “all purpose” flour would go.  This was my favorite generic cake recipe before going gluten free.  Happily, it turned out really well using the Namaste flour mix.

Also, feel free to just skip the whole cake part and get right to the frosting.  The cake is pretty darn good- but the frosting is where it’s at!

Chocolate Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

makes about 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup melted vegan margarine
• 2 cups almond milk (or your fave non-dairy milk)
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour (either “all purpose” flour or a Gluten free flour mix… be sure to check and see if the mix needs to have xanthan gum added)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 tbsp vinegar

Frosting:

• 4 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 7 tbsp almond milk
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners, or grease and flour pan.

In large mixing bowl, combine melted margarine and sugar until well mixed.  Add vanilla extract and baking soda.  Alternate adding almond milk with flour until all has been incorporated (if using gluten free flour, mix by hand about 50 strokes, or about 1 minute on medium speed with mixer).  Gently stir in vinegar one tablespoon at a time.  Mix well.

Using a measuring cup or something similar, fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full with batter.  Bake in preheated oven for about 17- 20 minutes, or until knife inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean.  Let cool on wire rack.

Now, make icing:

Combine confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder well.  Mix in almond milk and vanilla.  Mix in Earth Balance and then whip until light and fluffy.

Once cupcakes are cool, you are ready to fill.  You can use that special tip on your piping bag, or if you don’t have one of those, that’s okay.  It’s easy!

First, take your cooled cupcake:

Next, take a sharp or serrated knife and cut out a spot on the top, and set the top aside.  I like to cut a cone shape out, so I don’t accidentally cut through to the bottom.  Then I cut the very tip of the “cone” off to make extra room for the frosting.  You can use the handle of a spoon to push the cake to make a slightly larger hole.

Now, take a small spoon and scoop a little bit of frosting up and fill the cupcake with frosting.  Make sure to level it.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, though.

And now, replace the top.  It’s okay to push down slightly to get it to fit… this cake is super spongy.

See, easy, huh?  Now just pipe or use a knife to spread on the rest of the chocolate frosting and your done!

Store in cool place in covered container.  :)

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