These vegan chocolate cupcakes are inspired by every Colombian’s favourite childhood snack. Today, you will learn how to make a vegan and decadent version of the “Pinguinos Marinela” without losing their essence.
If you have no idea of what we are talking about, let me introduce you to a very common snack in Latin America. These are called Pinguinos Marinela.
These cupcakes are sold in a package holding two, which you would normally share with a friend at school (Or not if you are hungry!). To summarise, they are chocolate flavoured cake with a creamy white filling, topped with a chocolate ganache and decorated with white icing.
To make these Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Icing, we need to follow a few steps:
- The Cake
- The Ganache
- The Icing
The Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes:
The cake is your usual chocolate cupcake, but moist and vegan. Dark chocolate-flavoured with hints of coffee elevates the cupcakes. However, the essence of the traditional latin snack remains.
The Ganache:
The ganache is very simple. You will need two ingredients: 70% chocolate and canned, full-fat coconut milk. To make it, just heat the coconut milk and pour over the (chopped) chocolate until the milk covers it. Before mixing, let sit for 3 minutes and stir until you reach the ganache consistency.
The Icing:
To make the vegan icing, simply use vegan butter or shortening. See below for full recipe. Moreover, to make your icing better, use vanilla powder instead of extract. The change is significant.
Tips and Recommendations for the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes:
- To scoop the inside of the cupcakes, use a zucchini corer or the spoon to cut the melon into spheres.
- Make sure your room is cold when making the icing, otherwise it will not thicken.
- The ganache should be a room temperature when decorating.
- If you do not have a sleeve for the frosting, you could use a ziplock bag and cut one of the corners.
FINALLY,
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know if you decide to try it out and don’t forget to send me your #Lifestylemartina creations.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Healthy lemon-apricot cheesecake squares
Fall inspired healthy apple pie oatmeal
My goal is to get you to cook and experiment in the kitchen, even if you are not an expert. If you would like to get to know me more, follow me on instagram : Lifestylemartina . I post daily tips, quick recipes, personal content and pictures of my travel experiences. Looking forward to seeing you there!
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Below, the full recipe of the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Icing! Enjoy.
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Icing
Ingredients
For the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon espresso powder mixed with 2 tbs boiling water
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
For the Vegan Chocolate Ganache
- 200 grams 70% chocolate
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
For The Vegan Vanilla Icing
- 3/4 cup vegan butter
- 3 cups icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla powder can be substituted for extract
- 2 tablespoons soy milk
Instructions
For the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line your muffin pan.
- Add the vinegar to the milk and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix: flour, salt, baking soda, cacao powder and sugar.
- Add the oil, espresso mix, vanilla extract and milk.
- Once all cake ingredients are combined, bake for approximately 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
For the Vegan Chocolate Ganache
- Cut chocolate into very small squares and shavings. Place chocolate in a bowl.
- Scoop out as much of the thicker part of the coconut milk and warm in a pan.
- Once the coconut milk is very warm (almost to a boil), add it to the chocolate bowl and let sit for 3 minutes.
- Mix well until desired consistency.
For The Vegan Vanilla Icing
- Cream the butter and mix all ingredients for the vegan vanilla icing, adding as little milk as possible. Store in the fridge.
Assembling
- Once cupcakes have cooled, scoop a small piece of the inside, from the top of the cupcake.
- Using a sleeve, add frosting to the inside of the cupcake.
- Cover the top of the cupcake with the chocolate ganache.
- Decorate the top of the chocolate cupcake with the vegan vanilla frosting, using a sleeve.
Martina is a trained and experienced chef. She has worked as a Chef in multiple restaurants in the Netherlands. Currently, she works as a Marketing Manager for a Start-up in The Hague. In her spare time, she cooks and bakes delicious recipes to host friends and shares all of her best recipes and tips through her blogs.