Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

You don’t have to be vegan to love vegan food and this recipe for vegan chocolate cherry cupcakes will be a delight for everyone. When you have children who all eat varied diets from pescatarian to vegan you will always be on the lookout for a good vegan cake recipe. Welcome to my world! These are also egg-free so are perfect for anyone with an egg allergy. These vegan chocolate cherry cupcakes taste every bit as good as a non vegan cupcake as they are full of natural raw cacao, coconut oil and fresh cherries. They are moist and decadent topped with chocolate ganache and topped with a chocolate dipped cherry. But the best part is when you bite into the cupcake and find a hidden cherry surprise!

Fresh Ingredients

I like to use fresh cherries when I can find them but a good tip is when cherries are in season grab a load of them to freeze in batches. Then you can make these vegan chocolate cherry cupcakes all year round! July and August are the best months to find cherries but you can still find imported varieties before and after these months. I like to keep cherries in my freezer all year round as you can’t beat a slice of Black Forest gateau anytime of the year!

Health Benefits of Cherries

Did you know that cherries are as antioxidant as berries as they contain high amounts of flavonoids that give the cherries their dark colour. In fact, the darker the cherry the better as it has a higher concentrate of flavonoids. Cherries also contain a high amount of melatonin which aids sleep as well as being a powerful antioxidant.

Tips for Preparing Cherries

Try and find organic cherries where you can or from a good supplier as supermarket cherries can be sprayed with wax. Simply rinse them with drinking water and drain in a colander. If using in salads and desserts then cut the cherry in half and remove the pip with a sharp knife. Alternatively, use a cherry pitter which will act as a cherry punch (an olive stoner will also do the job). When using cherries in salads or desserts add them at the last minute as the cherry juice will stain the other ingredients in the dish.

Make It

These vegan chocolate cherry cupcakes are easy to make just by mixing the dry ingredients with the wet. The cherry surprise is simply made by heating the cherries with fresh orange juice and maple syrup.If you are stuck for time, the filling, ganache and cashew buttercream can be made the day before and left in the fridge. These are also delicious with the ganache or buttercream on its own. Hope you enjoy them!

[penci_recipe]