This was a recipe created from 3 other recipes and entered in the SF Food Wars mini cupcake competition. Not only did it win 1st place but it also won photographer’s choice! The coolest part? The recipe is all vegan and beat 21 other competitors!!!

We started with a basic chocolate cupcake recipe from the ‘Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World’ book by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero & Sara Quin. Then, we combined a sweet, creamy filling from an old magazine, a decadent chocolate ganache recipe from a friend & added an elegant touch with fresh blueberries and dragonfruit.

Enjoy!

  • Yields: 36 mini cupcakes
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 1 hour
  • Active: 1 hour

Ingredients (21)

  • 1 cup room temperature rice milk
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup evaporated cane sugar
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup good quality cocoa powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons of non-dairy butter
  • ¼ cup of non-dairy cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup rice milk
  • 1/4 c. non-dairy butter
  • 6 oz. semi-sweet (non-dairy) chocolate chips
  • 2 oz. unsweetened cocoa bar
  • 1 fresh Dragon Fruit
  • 1 small carton blueberries

Instructions

  1. CUPCAKE INSTRUCTIONS
  2. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a mini-cupcake tin with paper liners. Spray liners lightly with non-stick spray. 2. Place rice milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to curdle while preparing dry ingredients. 3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until fully combined. 4. Add the sugar, oil & vanilla to the rice milk mixture. Mix until combined. 5. Mixing on low, pour half the dry mixture into the wet mixture until combined. Pour the remaining dry mixture in until fully incorporated. Turn mixer off while scraping sides and bottom of mixing bowl. Mix again on low. 6. Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool.
  3. FILLING INSTRUCTIONS
  4. 1. Mix all ingredients on medium-high speed for 1 minute. 2. Pour mixture into pastry bag with tip in place. Set aside.
  5. GANACHE TOPPING INSTRUCTIONS
  6. 1. Combine chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate and melt in microwave for 45 seconds. Stir. Heat again for 45 seconds. 2. Melt non-dairy butter. 3. Combine chocolate, non-dairy butter & rice milk in a mixer. Mix slowly until combined.
  7. DRAGON FRUIT / BLUEBERRY TOPPING
  8. 1. Slice rough, outer edge from dragon fruit & rinse blueberries. 2. Slice dragon fruit into 6-8 slices. Lay slices flat and cut pieces into small triangles (like slicing a pizza). Set aside.
  9. ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
  10. 1. Poke holes into the middle of the cupcakes using a clean object about the size of a pencil. 2. Squeeze filling into cupcakes being careful not to overfill. 3. Carefully dip cupcakes into ganache topping, coating evenly. 4. Place a blueberry and a slice of dragon fruit on top. 5. Enjoy!