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Chocolate & Mint Cupcakes

27 Sep

Mint topped Chocolate Cupcakes

After a week of cooking vegan staples such as veg curry & pad thai (recipes coming) I needed an ickle challenge so set about making some chocolate fairy cakes (I know the world now prefers to call them ‘cupcakes’ but fairy cakes they will forever be to me).

These were, frankly, the finest little cakes I’ve made thus far, I topped them off with my favourite mint icing.

Music accompaniment today has been of the Balkan Nu Swing variety, mainly this mix courtesy of DJ Baltic Balkan.

Chocolate & Mint Cupcakes

Makes 12 cakes

Cake Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain white flour
  • 1/4 cup regular cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons black cocoa powder (UnDutched / Unsweetened)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened Soy Milk
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Cake Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (Gas mark 4, though I highly recommend a Celsius & Fahrenheit reading oven thermometer for baking you can find them here) and line a 12 part cake tin with paper cupcake cases, line the cases with a little canola oil to prevent sticking.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl sift flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, salt & baking soda.
  3. Using a second mixing bowl combine the soy milk, canola oil, maple syrup, sugar, Cyder vinegar and vanilla. Whisk together for 3-4 minutes until well combined.
  4. Add dry ingredients to the wet and beat for about another minute to combine. fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full and bake for about 25-30 minutes. remove from oven and allow to cool.

Mint icing ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup non hydrogenated vegetable shortening
  • 3 cups powdered icing sugar
  • 1/4 cup soymilk
  • 1 tablespoon soy cream
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1 drop green food coloring

Icing Method

  1. In a small-medium mixing bowl & at room temperature, use a fork to cream the solid shortening then add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the soy cream and mix together then add 1 further cup of the powdered sugar and continue until all the powdered sugar has been added and is well mixed.
  2. Add Vanilla Essence and Mint Extract and mix well.
  3. Finally add the green food colouring and mix until colour is evenly distributed through the mix (use a little more for a darker green colour).

Frosting the cakes:

Use a piping bag with a larger star tip to frost the cupcakes.

I added a little of my homemade & tempered chocolate sauce to this but choc chips or edible glitter would also work a treat.

Enjoy these tasty morsels!

Banana & Chocolate Pudding

15 Sep

Banana & Chocolate Pudding

Serves 2 large or 4 small portions

  • 350g firm silken Tofu
  • 100g vegan dark chocolate
  • 2 bananas (quartered)
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Cocoa powder

Method:

  1. Blend tofu until smooth and even.
  2. Melt chocolate (tip, melt in a glass bowl over boiling water or in a double boiler), stir constantly, then add  syrup and vanilla extract to melted chocolate and mix together.
  3. Mix chocolate mix with tofu, add banana and mix until creamy.
  4. Place in a cold fridge for 10 minutes.
  5. Sieve a small amount of Cocoa Powder on top of the pudding before serving.