Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting

Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting

Chocolate, coconut and coffee join together for these little cakes of goodness. 

Servings: 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Flour

1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp. Salt

1/4 Cup Canola Oil

1 Cup Coconut Milk

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp. Coffee Extract

1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. and prepare your cupcake tin with liners.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, coffee extract and canola oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until smooth, then fold in the coconut.

4. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full so they have room to rise and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before applying frosting, otherwise it will be too thin and runny.

5. Meanwhile, while your cupcakes are baking it's time to get started on the mocha frosting!

Mocha Frosting

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Vegan Shortening

1/4 Vegan Butter (Earth Balance)

2 Cups Confectioners' Sugar

2 Tsp. Coffee Extract

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Preparation:

1. Beat the shortening and the butter together until fluffy.

2. Add the sugar in 1/4 cup increments and continue to mix after each addition.

3. Add the extracts and beat for about another 5 minutes until well combined. Refrigerate the frosting until you are ready to pipe it. If you live in a tropical climate like us, you may want to add an additional 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar to account for the additional moisture in the air. Refrigerating the frosting before application also allows time for thickening, which makes piping the frosting into pretty towers much easier :)

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Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Chocolate Mousse

Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Chocolate Mousse

Servings: 12 Cupcakes

Rich chocolate mousse with a hint of raspberry transforms these traditional golden vanilla cupcakes into decadent little treats. This recipe was adapted from Moskowitz and Romero's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. 

Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Ingredients:

1 12 ounce Package of Extra Firm Tofu.

1/8 Cup Almond or Coconut Milk (I decrease the liquid ratio to my frosting recipes due to the high level of moisture in the air, so if you don't live in a tropical climate, you may want to experiment with increasing the liquid here to 1/4 cup).

1/2 Cup Confectioners' Sugar 

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 3.5 Ounce Raspberry Dark Chocolate Bar (increase this to two bars for EXTRA dark chocolatey goodness). 

Preparation:

1. Crumble the tofu into a food processor or blender, being sure to squeeze out all excess liquid. Add the almond milk and vanilla. Puree until completely smooth and transfer to a medium sized mixing bowl. 

2. Melt the chocolate. If you are microwave-phobic like us, this is a quick method for melting chocolate into a nice workable form without all the extra radiation tidbits. Fill a small pot half way with water and place on the stove at medium-high heat. Bring the water to a light boil and place a small pan or metal bowl on top. Fill the pan with the chocolate, broken into quarters, and use a spatula to mix the chocolate as it melts. Once it is melted, carefully remove it from the heat (using a pot holder) and continue to stir until thoroughly mixed. 

3. Add the chocolate and the confectioners' sugar (1/8 cup at a time) to the tofu mixture and mix until combined. Taste for sweetness. Add additional confectioners' sugar (1/8 cup at a time) until desired sweetness level is acquired. 

4. Transfer the mousse to the refrigerator and let chill for one hour. The longer the mousse chills, the easier it is to work with for piping frosting. 

Vanilla Cupcake Ingredients:

1 Cup Almond Milk

1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 1/4 Cup Flour

3/4 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

1/3 Cup Coconut Oil (or Canola Oil)

3/4 Cup Sugar

2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract 

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and get your cupcake tin ready by lining or lightly coating with non-stick agent (such as coconut oil spray).

2. Combine the almond milk and the apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes, then stir in the coconut oil, sugar and vanilla. 

3. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until no large clumps remain. Be careful not to over mix. 

4. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way and bake for 20 - 22 minutes. Check by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the cupcakes. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done so set them aside to cool. If the toothpick comes out sticky or moist, return the cupcakes for another 2 minutes. Be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. 

5. Enjoy and try not to eat them all in one sitting!

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