These Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes are moist, rich, and incredibly decadent! Together with a silky-smooth chocolate frosting, they are a chocolate lover's dream come true.
Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Now fill a 12-slot cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar then let it sit for 10 minutes to create vegan buttermilk. It will curdle and thicken slightly.
In a large bowl with a mesh strainer on top (or use a Flour Sifter), sift togetherthe flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In the bowl with the buttermilk, add the applesauce, oil, sugar, and vanilla then whisk to combine well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined. (*Don't over mix or it can create a dense and chewy cupcake- a few small lumps are fine)
Divide batter evenly into each liner about ⅔ full (an ice cream scoop works great for this). Bake them in the oven for 20-24 minutes. To check for doneness, lightly press the surface - It should spring back. You can also push a toothpick through the center - it should come out clean from wet batter.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them. Now completely cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
Notes
Soy Milk - it yields a consistency that is very similar to dairy buttermilk when an acid is added. If you can't have soy, you can use any non-dairy milk. It won't thicken much, but that's ok and the recipe will still work.
Measuring Flour - don’t scoop the flour with a measuring cup directly from the container. Instead, Aerate the flour first, then scoop it out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess flour.
Use room-temperature ingredients for the best results. If some are cold, leave them out while you pre-heat the oven and prep. At least 20 minutes.
It's important to maintain the right oven temperature for successful results. An oven thermometer is the best way to detect the accuracy of your oven.