These double chocolate cupcakes pair perfectly fudgy, fluffy cupcakes with whipped chocolate frosting for a beyond delicious combination.
Why you’ll love these cupcakes:
- The cupcake is fudgy, fluffy, and moist
- The frosting is light and creamy — plus, it’s not overly sweet!
- They’re easier to make than you may think!
Important ingredients for the fluffy chocolate cupcakes
All-purpose flour: This helps create structure in the cupcakes. Measure your flour using the spoon-and-level method to ensure your cupcakes don’t turn out dry.
Baking soda and baking powder: These are the leavening ingredients. They’re extremely important to cause the cupcakes to rise, as there are no eggs in this recipe.
Unsweetened natural cocoa powder: This adds the chocolate flavor to the cupcakes. Opt for unsweetened natural cocoa powder over dutch process.
Espresso powder: This ingredient is optional, however, it intensifies the chocolate flavor in the cupcakes. Your cupcakes won’t taste like coffee, they’ll just be intensely chocolatey!
Soy milk + vinegar or lemon juice: This is your vegan buttermilk. It adds moisture and great flavor to the cupcakes. I recommend using soy milk for the best outcome, however you can swap with another thick non-dairy milk, if necessary.
Vegan sour cream: This helps make these cupcakes extra moist and fudgy. If necessary, swap for non-dairy plain yogurt – however, they won’t be as rich.
Vegetable oil: This adds richness and moisture to the cupcakes. You can use any kind of vegetable oil.
Vanilla extract: This adds a delicious rich flavor to the cupcakes. You should use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Warm water or coffee: You’ll add this in at the end. It helps create a silky smooth batter and breaks up any remaining cocoa powder chunks. Using coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor without actually adding a coffee flavor to the cupcakes, however, you can use water if you don’t have coffee. Be sure the liquid you use is warm.
Chocolate Ermine Frosting
The frosting used on these cupcakes is a variation of Ermine frosting, a light and creamy frosting that’s thickened with flour. Ermine frosting is typically less sweet than classic buttercream and is reminiscent of whipped cream or the frosting you’d find in a ding dong.
If you prefer a richer, sweeter frosting, you can use my chocolate ganache buttercream recipe instead.
How to make and frost these cupcakes
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcakes. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk with the vinegar or lemon juice (this is your vegan buttermilk). Set aside for at least 10 minutes. In a separate, large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Mix until combined. To your buttermilk, add the vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just barely combined. Add the warm water or coffee to the mixture, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape the sides as necessary.
- Distribute your cake batter evenly between the cupcake liners — I use a 3 tablespoon scooper. Bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean or with just crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Make the whipped chocolate frosting: Add the flour and soy milk to a small bowl and and whisk well. Strain the mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and continuously whisk until the mixture thickens – it should look like pudding when it’s ready. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Pour back into the bowl and top with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the mixture (this will help ensure a skin doesn’t form on top). Allow to cool completely.
- Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for 7-10 minutes, until very light and fluffy (be patient here, you want the mixture to be very whipped and the sugar to dissolve as much as possible). Scrape the sides as necessary. Continue to beat the butter mixture as you slowly add the cooled milk mixture to it (if your milk mixture isn’t cooled completely, your frosting may curdle). Finally, add in the cocoa powder. Mix the frosting until it’s light and fluffy, scraping the sides as necessary.
- Frost the cupcakes: Place the frosting into a piping bag with a Wilton 2D tip (or tip of choice). Pipe a large rosette onto each cupcake.
Tools and Accessories Used
Kitchenaid Mixer: While not necessary, I love using my Kitchenaid mixer when making cupcakes. It helps make smooth batter and fluffy buttercream.
Rubber Scraper: You’ll need one of these to scrape the sides of the bowl. I also like use it to stir my buttercream by hand a bit to remove air bubbles before using.
Cupcake Pans: You’ll use two cupcake pans to bake these cupcakes.
Cupcake Liners: Line your pans with cupcake liners for easy removal.
Kitchen Scale: While not necessary, it’s helpful to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients.
Piping Bag and Wilton 2D Tip: These are necessary to create the cute swirls around the top of the cupcakes.
Let me know your thoughts!
If you love this recipe or have any questions, leave me a comment with a rating below. I also love to see your creations on Instagram, so make sure to tag me @marykatesvegancakes so I can see and repost!
Double Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (240mL) soy milk*
- 1 tablespoon (15mL) apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour*
- ½ cup (50g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1/2 cup (120g) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120g) vegan sour cream*
- 1 tablespoon (15mL) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120mL) warm water or warm coffee
Whipped Chocolate Frosting
- 1/3 cup (42g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder*
- 1 cup (240mL) soy milk
- 1/2 tbsp (8mL) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227g) vegan butter*, softened*
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk with the vinegar or lemon juice (this is your vegan buttermilk). Set aside for at least 10 minutes. In a separate, large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Mix until combined. To your buttermilk, add the vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just barely combined. Add the warm water or coffee to the mixture, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape the sides as necessary.
- Distribute your cake batter evenly between the cupcake liners — I use a 3 tablespoon scooper. Bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean or with just crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Make the whipped chocolate frosting: Add the flour and soy milk to a small bowl and and whisk well. Strain the mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and continuously whisk until the mixture thickens – it should look like pudding when it's ready. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Pour back into the bowl and top with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the mixture (this will help ensure a skin doesn't form on top). Allow to cool completely.
- Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for 7-10 minutes, until very light and fluffy (be patient here, you want the mixture to be very whipped and the sugar to dissolve as much as possible). Scrape the sides as necessary. Continue to beat the butter mixture as you slowly add the cooled milk mixture to it (if your milk mixture isn't cooled completely, your frosting may curdle). Finally, add in the cocoa powder. Mix the frosting until it's light and fluffy, scraping the sides as necessary.
- Frost the cupcakes: Place the frosting into a piping bag with a Wilton 2D tip (or tip of choice). Pipe a large rosette onto each cupcake.
Notes
- Soy Milk: I recommend soy milk for the best consistency. You can use another non-dairy milk, however it may not curdle as well.
- Measuring Flour: Use the spoon-and-level method or weigh your flour to ensure your cake doesn’t turn out dry.
- Sour Cream: You can substitute non-dairy yogurt for the sour cream, however the cake won’t be as rich.
- Cocoa Powder: For best results, sift the cocoa powder before adding to your frosting.
- Vegan Butter: I recommend using vegan buttery sticks for the buttercream rather than margarine from the tub.
- Softened Butter: You should allow your butter to soften to room temperature (bring out of the fridge about 30 minutes to 1 hour prior) before using.
