Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

^{Photo by Hannah Kaminsky}

If this vegan chocolate cupcake could talk, the stories it would tell. Cupcake towers at weddings. Three hundred of them at a dim sum restaurant. Vegfests, book tours, birthday parties. This recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, the book that made good on it’s title. And this one – a rich, tender chocolate cake topped with a silky chocolate mousse – might be the most loved of them all. Just read the comments.

The mousse is made with silken tofu, which is my favorite easy old school way of making vegan desserts. You blend it up with melted chocolate and it becomes this ridiculously lush, creamy, truffle-like topping that sets in the fridge while you bake the cupcakes. Just try not to eat it all with a spoon first.

The cupcake itself is the one I come back to again and again. Soy milk curdled with vinegar, a little almond extract for depth, Dutch-process cocoa for richness. It’s moist, it’s fluffy, it’s everything. Use this as your go-to vegan chocolate cupcake with any frosting you want — buttercream, ganache, whatever. But the mousse is the move.

EASY VEGAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES FAQ:

Can I use a different milk? Yes. The soy milk curdled with vinegar creates a vegan buttermilk that helps the cupcakes rise, and I also like the protein content for structure. But use whatever unsweetened vegan milk you have, they just might not curdle in the same way. I’ve baked these with all kinds of milks and no problemo.

What kind of cocoa powder should I use? Dutch-process gives you a deeper, darker, more fudgy cupcake. Regular (natural) cocoa works too, it’ll just be a little lighter in color and a slightly more acidic flavor. Both are great.

My mousse didn’t set. What happened? Give it more time. Some people need 2–3 hours in the fridge, not just one. Make sure you’re using extra-firm silken tofu (the vacuum-packed kind, like Mori-Nu) and that your chocolate is fully melted before blending.

OK, my mousse is TOO set? That can happen! Set it out at room temp for an hour or so. If you need it faster, place it in the piping bag and mush it up with your hands. Last resort, run carefully under some warm water. You don’t want to melt it, so do it at 5-second intervals until perfectly pipeable.

Can I use firm silken tofu instead of extra-firm? Yes, it works. You might just need a little extra chill time for the mousse to set.

Can I use regular tofu for the mousse? No — it has to be silken. Regular tofu will give you a grainy, chalky mousse instead of that smooth, creamy texture. Look for the vacuum-packed shelf-stable boxes (Mori-Nu is the most common brand).

Do I need a double boiler to melt the chocolate? You don’t need an actual double boiler. Just set a small sauté pan on top of a small saucepan filled halfway with water. Bring the water to a boil, add the chocolate chips to the top pan, and stir as they melt.

Is there another way to melt the chocolate? Microwave! Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each one. It usually takes about 3 rounds. Stop as soon as the last few chips melt into the rest when you stir, you don’t want to scorch it.

Can I use this cupcake recipe with a different frosting? Absolutely. This is a perfect all-purpose vegan chocolate cupcake. Top it with buttercream, ganache, peanut butter frosting, whatever you want. The mousse is my favorite, but the cupcake plays well with anything.

Can I make these into a layer cake? Yes! Double the batter and pour into a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350°F for about 35–40 minutes, checking with a toothpick. Let it cool completely, then slice in half horizontally. The mousse makes a beautiful filling between the layers<3

Can I make these gluten-free? Readers have had success with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking mix. The mousse is already gluten-free.

How should I store these? Because of the mousse, keep them in the fridge. They’re actually best served cold — the mousse stays firm and creamy. Let them sit out for about 10 minutes before serving if you want the cake to soften up a bit.

How far ahead can I make these? Make the mousse the night before — it only gets better with time in the fridge. Bake the cupcakes the day of, or a day ahead stored in an airtight container. Assemble and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

How do I shave chocolate from a chocolate bar? Use a vegetable peeler along the edge of an on-the-colder-side room-temperature chocolate bar. If the bar is too cold, the chocolate will crack instead of curl. If it’s too warm, it’ll smudge. A good way to get it the right temp is refrigerate, then let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes. Shave onto the cupcakes, working over a piece of parchment so that you can scoop up any dropped shavings and get them on top of the cupcakes.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes

Easy vegan chocolate cupcakes. The iconic and reliable recipe from the cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. Basically, the best cupcake ever [|}

5 from 4 votes

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

  

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For the mousse:

• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (one package is usually 12 ounces)
• 10-12 oz extra firm silken tofu (the vacuum packed kind)
• 1/4 cup plain soy milk
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• Chocolate bar for shaving, optional

Instructions

 

Prepare the Mousse:

• Crumble the tofu into a blender. Add the soy milk, agave and vanilla extract. Puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
• In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Obviously you don’t have a double boiler so take a small sauce pan and fill half way with water. On top of that place a small sauté pan. Fill the sauté pan with chocolate chips and bring the water to a boil. Use a rubber spatula to mix the chocolate as it melts. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. (see the FAQ for microwave melting directions)
• Add the melted chocolate to the tofu and blend until well combined, use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender every so often.
• Transfer the mousse to an air tight container or a wrapped bowl and let chill for an hour.

Prepare the cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
• Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
• Lightly spray the liners with cooking spray and pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

To assemble:

• Once the mousse is chilled and set and the cupcakes have cooled, remove from the refrigerator and stir with a fork to a spreadable consistency.  Fit a pastry bag with a wide decorating tip. Fill the bag with mousse and pipe it onto the cupcake in a spiral, starting from the outside in or in. Add chocolate chips or chocolate shavings if you are feeling especially fancy pants.
• Chill the cupcakes or a half hour to let the mousse set again and serve cold.

Keyword Cake, Chocolate, Cupcakes

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