Vegan S’mores Cupcakes
Ingredients
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup sugar use coconut organic brown, or organic granulated
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup hot brewed coffee or hot water
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup avocado oil or another neutral vegetable oil of your preference
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chopped
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup vegan butter or shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk almond, or any other nut milk
Vegan Marshmallow Frosting
- 240 ml chickpea brine drained from a can of chickpeas
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
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Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners, or grease it well.
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Mix flour, cocoa powder, sugar, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Sift mixture and set aside.
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Mix hot coffee (or hot water), apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, and vanilla in a measuring cup.
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Pour over dry ingredients. Mix with a whisk to incorporate.
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Distribute batter evenly between the 12 cupcake tins.
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Bake for 12-16 minutes, rotating the pan in between.
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
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Start by melting the chopped dark chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Make sure to chop the chocolate finely, so it’s easier to melt it.
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Let it cool until it isn’t warm to the touch any longer.
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While the chocolate cools down, you can gather the rest of the ingredients.
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Sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder together. Set aside.
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Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.
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Cream butter for about 1 minute on medium speed.
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Turn mixer off, add sifted powdered sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl.
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Turn mixer on low to combine the ingredients together.
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Once they are combined, you can turn the speed up. Cream on medium high for about 30 seconds.
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Add melted chocolate, mix until combined.
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Add vanilla, milk and cream frosting on medium high for 45 seconds.
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Check for consistency. If frosting is too thick and dry, add a bit more milk, about 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing in between.
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If the mixture is too runny, there might be two options. You may either add some more sifted powdered sugar. Or it may be the case that your butter or chocolate were too warm when you made the frosting, or your kitchen might be too warm. In this situation, you want to cover your frosting bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for a few minutes, about 10 or so. Cream frosting again, and check for the consistency.
Vegan Marshmallow Frosting
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Place chickpea brine in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, and let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until it has reduced. This step will make so your chickpea brine is more concentrated and make for a more stable frosting. Most recipes don’t call for this step, and you can skip it if you want to. In that case, instead of using 240 ml (1 cup) of chickpea brine, use 120 ml (1/2 cup).
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Once you have your 1/2 cup of reduced chickpea brine, make sure it’s not even slightly warm before making the frosting. I like to make this a day ahead and leave it in the fridge. It will be really concentrated and have the consistency of egg whites.
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Start whipping the aquafaba (chickpea brine) with a mixer, medium speed.
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Once it begins to foam up, add cream of tartar in. Beat for another 30 seconds or so, until it becomes whitened in color.
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Add powdered sugar and vanilla in.
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Beat on high speed for 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
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I recommend using this frosting right away, or making it right before serving the cupcakes. It’s not a very stable frosting, and might start to become runny.
To assemble
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Cut a hole in the middle of each cupcake with a spoon.
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Place vegan chocolate frosting in a pastry bag.
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Pipe some frosting in the middle of the cupcake.
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Place the cupcake top over the frosting.
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Pipe a mount of vegan chocolate frosting on top of the cupcake.
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Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top of it. Make sure to sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top of the frosting as soon as you pipe the frosting, so it doesn't have a chance to set, and then, the crumbs might not stick.
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You can keep this refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
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Right before serving, pipe the vegan marshmallow frosting on top.
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Use a torch to toast the frosting, if you wish to do so.
Storage
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The cupcakes, without the vegan marshmallow frosting will keep very well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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Once you pipe the marshmallow frosting on top, make sure to serve within a couple of hours.
Recipe Notes
You can make your own graham crackers to use in this recipe. Here is my recipe for vegan Graham Crackers. But you can find vegan graham crackers at the store, I believe Nabisco's graham crackers are vegan.
Just grind up the graham crackers, and make sure to sprinkle them on top of the cupcakes as the frosting has just been piped, this way the crumbs will stick to the frosting before it sets.