I’m a sucker for a chocolate cake and so it seemed the perfect place for me to dive into Robin’s newest book. This one caught my eye for another reason as well — it is vegan. No, I’m not a vegan, but I’ve been looking for this very recipe since the day my brother and his girlfriend announced to the family that they were. I’d been experimenting with vegan cakes to serve them, but honestly I hadn’t gotten very far. I’m too wedded to butter, eggs and cream. Robin came to the rescue. I gave the recipe a test run for Katherine’s (the aforementioned girlfriend of my brother) Birthday. Truth be told I never actually gave them to Katherine, not for lack of desire, but because they are in Copenhagen at the Climate Change March, where they are preparing to display their artwork to affect change in the world. What a memorable birthday she will have and I will gladly make these cupcakes again once she returns. A perfect way to celebrate.
Robin manages to achieve a rich chocolate cake with a moist (but not dense) crumb without the benefit of eggs or dairy. Mystifying! The filling is remarkably reminiscent of mocha pastry cream and the ganache is chocolaty and glossy. It all defies classic baking and yet it works wonderfully.
How to Make Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
Here is the step by step process and you will find the full recipe card below.
Puree the tofu in a food processor,
until perfectly smooth. You will need to scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula.
Add the melted chocolate mixture to the tofu and
process until smooth and thick. It will look like chocolate pudding. Set aside while you bake the cake.
To bake the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin tins with papers.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Melt the chocolate and oil in a medium sized bowl over a double boiler until perfectly smooth. Whisk the agave into the chocolate mixture. In a third bowl whisk together the soy milk, vanilla, vinegar and Kahlua, then stir it into the chocolate mixture. gently whisk the wet mixture into the dry. Divide the batter into the muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.
Cool them for 15 minutes before removing from pan.
Using a paring knife cut out a portion of the cupcake,
to make a space for the filling. Don’t cut too much away or the cupcake may not have enough structure and fall apart.
Use a pastry bag with a round tip to fill the cupcakes with the mocha filling.
Spread it smooth.
To make the ganache:
Melt the chocolate and soy milk over a double boiler until smooth. Gently stir in the Kahlua.
Spoon the ganache over the top of the cupcakes.
Spread it smooth.
Using a chef’s knife, scrape the smooth side of a bar of bittersweet chocolate to create the shavings.
sprinkle the shavings over the top of the cupcakes.
Happy Birthday Katherine!
For another recipe by Robin check out this amazing apple pumpkin cake I made from her first book The New Whole Grain Cookbook: Terrific Recipes Using Farro, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley, and Many Other Delicious and Nutritious Grains
Ingredients
Mocha Filling
- 5 ½ oz silken tofu, drained
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder
Ganache
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 3 tbsp soy or coconut milk
- 3 tbsp Kahlua
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ½ cup agave nectar
- 1 cup soy or coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Kahlua
- Chocolate for shaving garnish
Instructions
Mocha Filling
- Melt the chocolate, agave and coffee powder over a double boiler until perfectly smooth. Set aside.
- Puree the tofu in a food processor, until perfectly smooth. You will need to scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture to the tofu and process until smooth and thick. It will look like chocolate pudding. Set aside while you bake the cake.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin tins with papers.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Melt the chocolate and oil in a medium sized bowl over a double boiler until perfectly smooth. Whisk the agave into the chocolate mixture. In a third bowl whisk together the soy milk, vanilla, vinegar and Kahlua, then stir it into the chocolate mixture. gently whisk the wet mixture into the dry. Divide the batter into the muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.
- Cool them for 15 minutes before removing from pan. Using a paring knife cut out a portion of the cupcake, to make a space for the filling. Don’t cut too much away or the cupcake may not have enough structure and fall apart.
- Use a pastry bag with a round tip to fill the cupcakes with the mocha filling. Spread it smooth.
Ganache
- Melt the chocolate and soy milk over a double boiler until smooth. Gently stir in the Kahlua.
- Spoon the ganache over the top of the cupcakes. Spread it smooth.
- Using a chef’s knife, scrape the smooth side of a bar of bittersweet chocolate to create the shavings. Sprinkle the shavings over the top of the cupcakes.
Grand looking cupcakes. I have been an advocate for vegan cakes for some time. Not the fake kind that use that awful “earth balance” stuff, but real ones like this. The nice thing about a tofu-based icing is that you can have a strong chocolate flavor and rich taste without feeling like you’re being killed by a stick of butter.
The cupcakes look so decadent and delicious! I want that book too:)
i’m not vegan, but i love recipes that push me to try something new that i usually wouldn’t think of. because i, too, am just so darn fond of butter and eggs! the cake looks scrumptious, and the cover of Robin’s book definitely begs “open me!”
I just want to reach out to your page and grab one to eat.
Thanks Zoe, for staging my cake in such a beautiful way. I must tell you- I made this cake with my classes at Rancho La Puerta last week, and it was a huge hit. Some of the health conscious spa-goers suggested mini muffin sized cakes, so they could freeze them and avoid temptation. Me, I thought making a loaf cake and only eating half was being virtuous 😉
Thanks for all the kind comments-good luck in the contest!
Looks decadent, even without butter. I believe I’ll try them.
I’m not vegetarian either but we are trying to eat less animal product. This recipe book would certainly help us achieve that goal!
Wow they look tasty!!!
I’m not a vegan, but this book could come handy to make stuff for those that are!
Mmmm, those look amazing! I’m trying to expand my vegan cooking repertoire, so recipes like this are always prized by me.
Those look so yummy! You could fool anyone with these cupcakes, they’d never know they were vegan! I think that’s the best part about cooking vegan and even vegetarian. I like when you can take an ingredient like tofu—that a lot of people would cringe even hearing you utter the word, and prepare it in a way that not only do they like it, but they think it is something entirely different. It looks like this is a recipe that would succeed with my family!
Looks delicious! Always nice to have really good vegan recipes – for baked goods especially!
wow these cupcakes look delicious. i’ve experimented with vegan cupcakes and have definitely had trouble with texture and flavor…but these look divine. i’d love this cookbook!
Good to have a vegan recipe just in case! Though I am pretty sure I’m for the eggs, butter, and cream.
These look so delicious!!
PS: And the cover of Robin’s book looks mouth-watering as well!
Looks intensely good. I’m not vegan, but I don’t mind the odd vegan treat, and these cupcakes have my name all over it, I think! Thanks for sharing, Zoë!
Today’s my birthday and I’m not vegan either but can I have one please.. or maybe two??
Btw, if Swee San uses honey, the cupcakes won’t be vegan because honey is an animal product. But the cupcakes will be much as good!! Can I have one??
Lovely cupcakes, Zoe! I eat mostly vegetarian and love the creativity of many vegan recipes, including a cookbook of fantastic vegan cupcakes. This would be a great addition to my collection for sure.
I just can’t handle even looking at those cupcakes now. Tomorrow. After a big lunch. Hope the giveaway is open to Canadians!
Hi Swee San,
It is a syrup that is extracted from the agave plant, some one that they use to make tequila! You can replace it with honey.
Thanks for the great question! Zoë
They look lovely!! This cookbook has totally piqued my interest! Family members with dairy allergies. This would prove to be a great resource!
sorry but what’s agave syrup ? Can I substitute if i don’t have it here ? like with honey ? thanks
Our wedding cake was a vegan chocolate cake…ah the looks we got that day. This looks delicious will try it soon.
wow it looks really delicious! My mum’s a vegetarian and she’s been asking for a veg cake. I’ve tried a couple recipes but still can’t get the best texture. Maybe this book will help 🙂