I had a bad cupcake day yesterday, so I had to redeem myself with these! We had made the frosting earlier, so it didn’t get quite as smooth as I wanted here, but it tastes good – just isn’t as pretty in photos.
Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cherry extract or cherry juice
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup chocolate pieces or chips
- 1/4 cup dried cherries chopped
In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Make three wells in the flour mixture. In one put vanilla; in another the vinegar, and in the third the oil. Pour the cold water over the mixture and stir until moistened. Add the chocolate chips and cherries and gently mix. Spoon into cupcake tins (fill 1/2 to 2/3 full). Bake at 350°F. oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.
Frosting/Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup vegan butter, softened
- 3 tbsp chocolate syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cherry juice or extract
- 1+ tbsp soy milk
Cream sugar and butter. Add syrup and extract. Add soy milk if necessary to reach desired consistency.
