Hello chocolate lovers! This week was another busy week at the cottage and those allergens in the air are vicious! There have been cold headache hats, warm heating pads to soothe and hot teas and lots of rest when we could, but also a lot of work around the cottage for our YouTube channel and getting ready to settle in for the chilly Fall and upcoming Winter.

My family and I had a lovely 3 day weekend of rest, relaxation and fun at home. It was just what the doctor ordered. There were lovely comforting meals and a lovely dessert on Monday evening. I made the softest and most delicious chocolate cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting that was just what was needed. Thus was inspired by other recipes found through the years but adapted to a Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan version. And oh my, were they YUMMMMM!!!!

Hope you had a wonderful long holiday weekend of rest and have a lovely week! If you’re looking for something to watch on how to take care of your garden or build something or decorate, check out our YouTube Brambleberry Cottage channel. Grab your favorite mug of hot beverage, make these delicious cupcakes (recipe below), and cozy up by a fire with a soft blanket to watch our channel if that suits you. Enjoy! 😊❤️

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups almond milk

2 tsp Bragg’s apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups organic granulated sugar

2/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled

2 tsp real vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups gluten free all purpose flour

2/3 cup organic cacao powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 cupcake pans well with coconut oil spray. Set aside.

2) Whisk together almond milk & vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to let it curdle a bit.

3) Add the sugar, oil, vanilla & almond extracts to the milk mixture and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until foamy.

4) In a separate medium to large size bowl, sift together the flour, cacao powder, baking soda & baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients in 2 batches to the wet ingredients and beat until there aren’t any large lumps remain (a few small lumps are fine).

5) Pour batter almost to top in cupcake tins.

6) Bake for 15 minutes until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set cupcakes, once cooled for a few minutes in pan, on cooling racks. While cupcakes are cooling on racks, make frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup grass fed unsalted butter, softened

4 oz. dairy free cream cheese, softened

1 tsp real vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1) With a hand mixer, beat on medium speed the softened butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until creamy, scraping sides of bowl as you go.

2) With a rubber spatula, stir in vanilla, then powdered sugar in 2 batches, scraping sides of bowl as you go.

– When cupcakes are cooled completely, frost each cupcake with a flat thin spatula or knife and spoon. Enjoy!!