The BEST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Without a doubt the BEST vegan chocolate cupcakes! They are so easy to make and produce a rich, soft and full of flavour cupcake best finished off with a swirl of fudgey vegan chocolate buttercream and a little chocolate ganache.

Chocolate cupcakes are one of my favourites to make. They are perfect for all occasions and celebrations, and while I have many versions on my site already, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the ultimate chocolate lovers cupcake.

These cupcakes come in the form of a rich, decedent cake that’s not too sweet as to overwhelm the frosting. The cupcakes are then topped with my absolutely favourite vegan chocolate buttercream that I swear tastes like milk chocolate fudge despite being completely dairy-free and using only cocoa powder.

And then because on the day of photographing this recipe I was feeling a bit extra, I added a little drizzle of chocolate ganache and a few chocolate sprinkles because can there really be too much chocolate?

How to make vegan chocolate cupcakes

Things start off quite simply here by combining your vinegar and almond milk (or your preferred dairy-free milk) to make a ‘buttermilk’ substitute. This will ensure a softer texture for the cake and also the vinegar will aid in the reaction that gives the cupcakes lift as we don’t have eggs performing that role in this recipe.

Next in one bowl mix together the canola oil, sugar and vanilla, while in another mix together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and baking powder. You can mix with an electric mixer if you want otherwise a whisk will do the job just fine.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the oil and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix everything together until you have a smooth batter.

Spoon your mixture into 12 patty cases and bake for about 18 minutes. You don’t want to overfill your cases so make sure they are no more than ¾ full.
Once cool, whip up a batch of vegan chocolate buttercream and grab your favourite piping tip (I like the Wilton 1M) and pipe on your frosting.

If you want to go to the extra effort of the ganache, I’ve included some instructions in the note section of the recipe card below.

How to store cupcakes

These cupcakes will be fine covered at room temperature for about 2 days, or in the fridge for about 5 days. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes ahead of time and let thaw overnight at room temperature before frosting on the day of serving.

Cupcakes are the perfect dessert to make when you want something pretty but with minimal effort. They store much easier than a full size cake and take a fraction of the time to make so are a great option if you need to whip something up after work one day.

Want more vegan cupcake recipes? Why not try these:

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes (Vegan)
Vegan ‘Snickers’ Cupcakes
Vegan Chocolate Rose Cupcakes

If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with #eightforestlane as I would love to see.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Without a doubt the BEST vegan chocolate cupcakes! They are so easy to make and produce a rich, soft and full of flavour cupcake best finished off with a swirl of fudgey vegan chocolate buttercream and a little chocolate ganache.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time18 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Australian

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Author: Sally

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch salt

For the chocolate buttercream:

• 125 grams dairy-free butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch salt
• sprinkles optional
• chocolate ganache optional (see notes)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a muffin tin with 12 patty cases.
• In a small bowl combine white vinegar and almond milk. Milk will split which is fine. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat canola oil, sugar and vanilla until combined.
• In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Slowly add to oil and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk until cupcake batter comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Spoon mixture into patty cases ensuring they are only ¾ full before placing them in the oven for 18 minutes or until lightly springy to touch. Let cool completely before frosting.
• Make the buttercream. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted, beat dairy-free butter and vanilla for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Add in 3 cups of the icing sugar and the cocoa powder and beat on medium until combined. As mixture thickens, add in almond milk a tablespoon at a time. If frosting is too thin, add in an extra ½ icing sugar until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. Add a pinch of salt to taste if frosting is too sweet.
• Place buttercream into a piping bag with your favourite tip and pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles and chocolate ganache if desired and enjoy!

Notes

Chocolate Ganache: To make chocolate ganache to drizzle over the frosting, chop up ¼ cup of vegan dark chocolate into small pieces (think the size of chocolate chips) and place it in a small bowl. Heat up ¼ cup of coconut milk in the microwave or on the stove until warm (not too hot!). Add to the bowl with the chocolate pieces and let sit for a couple of minutes. The heat from the milk will melt the chocolate. Mix together using a spoon or whisk until glossy and all the chocolate has melted. Let cool before drizzling over the top of the cupcakes.

Dairy-free milk. I have used oat milk, almond milk, vanilla almond milk, and soy milk in this recipe and all produce a perfect cupcake.

Not from Australia? Check out my US Conversion Guide. 

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