If you are gluten free, you can substitute the Simple Mills chocolate cupcake mix and add 1 tsp of orange extract, in addition to the ingredients it already calls for, into the batter. Note: we prefer to make this mix with just two eggs not the three that it calls for. Then frost as usual and enjoy a gluten free version of these delights!
Makes: 12 cupcakes
Time: 1 hr
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla powder (option to replace with vanilla extract)
1 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 room temperature egg
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup neutral oil
1/2 cup hot coffee
For the icing:
3/4 cup soaked cashews
4 dates
1 tsp orange extract
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp - 1 tsp maple syrup (depending on your sweetness preference)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup orange juice depending on how thick you want the icing to be. Less liquid is more fudgy, more liquid is fluffier.
These cupcakes can be made by hand or with a mixer, however we use a mixer because we have one.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F and make hot coffee. Either grease the cupcake pans with some neutral oil or line with silicone or paper cups. We like to use silicone cupcake cups in our cupcake pan because they make cleanup easier and you don’t have to throw them away every time. Paper cupcake cups work to line the cupcake pan as well.
Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla powder, salt). In a separate bowl or using a liquid 2 cup measuring device combine the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, neutral oil, orange extract, and the egg. Break the yolk up, but no need to whisk the egg. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, careful not to over mix. While you are stirring add the hot coffee and watch it transform into liquid smooth velvety cake batter.
Divide the batter between the cupcake cups as equally as possible. Bake in pre-heated oven for about 22 minutes or until you can touch the center of the cupcakes and it bounces back, however it should not be firm and should still have a slight wobble to it. Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them out of the pan onto a cooling rack, if you have one, otherwise the counter or a plate works just fine.
Drain your cashews and add them, with the rest of the icing ingredients, to the bowl of a food processor. Blend, scraping down regularly until you have a smooth creamy icing. For the orange juice, start with 1/4 cup and then add the orange juice 1 tbsp at a time until you have the consistency that you like. The less liquid you use the more dense it will be, the more liquid you add the more fluffy the icing will be.
Spread the icing on the cupcakes,
Enjoy!
