Yesterday was strawberry goodness, today Chocolate Cupcakes! But these are a little special. Molly can't have soy or dairy. Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about making these. I was afraid I would use the wrong ingredients and make her sick or the cupcake would just taste horrible.
After a little searching I knew I really only had to worry about the butter and milk. Almond milk is dairy and soy free and Earth Balance makes a soy and dairy free butter. The butter was available in the health food section of our local grocery store or Whole Foods. The almond milk is also in the health food section and even alongside the regular milk. I later learned that coconut oil is another substitute for the butter too.
I was very pleased with the final product. They didn't rise as much as other cupcakes, but that didn't effect the flavor. It was a nice light and fluffy cake and rich from all the cocoa. The frosting was just as chocolaty! Honestly, I wouldn't have known they were soy and diary free.
Have you had to bake for someone with ingredient restrictions? It was a fun challenge. Now I think I'm ready to try a gluten free recipe for my friend Sierra.
Soy and Dairy Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
2 ¾ cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups soy-free and dairy-free shortening (like Earth Balance)
2 ½ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 ½ cup rice or almond milk
¼ cup maple syrup
2 TBSP vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with
liners and set aside.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour,
cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer at a high
speed, cream the shortening with the sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat
in the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Add the almond/rice
milk, maple syrup and vanilla, beat again until combined. Using a spoon, stir
the dry ingredients into the wet in several additions until just combined.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon, fill cupcake liners 2/3
full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes
out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
2-3 cups powdered sugar, more/less for desired consistency
¼ cup (½ stick) dairy-free soy-free margarine, softened
¼ cup plain almond or rice milk, more for desired consistency
¾ cup unsweetened pure cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the powdered
sugar with the margarine until mixture is thick but well combined. Add the
almond milk, cocoa powder and vanilla, and continue to mix until smooth. Add more powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency.
Makes 24 cupcakes.
Source: About.com, cake and frosting
Makes 24 cupcakes.
Source: About.com, cake and frosting
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