Freelance Writing Jobs | Today's Articles | Sign In

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Dairy-Free Desert for the Lactose Intollerant

Dec 30, 2008 Tammy Andrew

Light, chocolaty and easy to make cupcakes that use no dairy ingredients. Great for Vegans and people with milk allergies.

Dairy-free deserts can be difficult to find in the stores. Most baked goods rely on the properties of dairy for both flavor and texture. Though there are many egg and milk substitutes available, using them in recipes does not always yield expected results. One reason is because of the leavening properties of the eggs is not always completely reproduced by their synthetic replacements. Another is that the fat from milk and butter is not always present in lactose-free counterparts like soy milk.

One way to add fat back into a dairy-free recipe is to use ground or creamed nuts or chocolate. In this recipe, chocolate powder is used to achieve this, thus allowing the texture of the cupcakes to resemble that of the more traditional recipes. Make sure to use a powdered cocoa and check its label since some manufacturers will use milk solids to add richness to the flavor of the chocolate.

These chocolate cupcakes rely on absolutely no dairy products. The recipe relies on the reaction of baking soda with vinegar to cause the cupcakes to rise instead of the leavening property of eggs. The fat from milk or butter is replaced by vegetable oil and powdered chocolate. Though other oils may be substituted for vegetable oil they may not achieve the same result due to differences in the properties of the various oils available for cooking.

The cupcakes are have a rich flavor while being light in texture and sporting a crunchy top; sure to satisfy a chocolate craving as well as a sweet tooth. Since frosting also relies on dairy products, dust the cupcakes with powdered sugar or a mixture of cinnamon and sugar instead to achieve the finished touch typically provided by frosting.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon white vinegar
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cold water

Steps

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour a cupcake pan or use paper cupcake liners.
Mix sugar, flour, salt, baking soad and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl.
In a small mixing bowl, combine vanilla, white vinegar, vegetable oil and cold water.
Slowly add wet ingredients to the dry, using a wire whisk to beat it until well mixed.
Divide batter into the prepared cupcake pan.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely.
Dust cooled cupcakes with powdered sugar or a cinnamon and sugar combination in lieu of frosting.

The copyright of the article Chocolate Cupcake Recipe in Recipes is owned by Tammy Andrew. Permission to republish Chocolate Cupcake Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Lactose and Dairy Free Chocolate Cupcakes