The Go-To Chocolate Cupcake

Tonight's experiment is The Go-To Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream from the blog Love and Olive Oil. I got excited the second I saw the word "coconut" in the ingredient list. The title made me think of my friend Flynn and I had to smile. One night out in Rosslyn, he got a lil tipsy and desperately wanted to get some pizza. He knew just the place and kept saying over and over again "It's the go-to spot!" Oh Flynn...

You can't go wrong with a good ol fashioned chocolate cupcake. I love the coconut milk and almond mead, it gives a professional taste.

This amazing frosting job is done pre-frosting tips! Don't let it fool you, this frosting has great texture.

Cake:

1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons almond meal
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons soy creamer or heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper liners. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract until incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in coconut milk mixture. Stir until just smooth (do not overmix).

Sometimes recipes throw you a curve ball so you're wandering around the grocery store like you lost your damn mind- this one was "almond mead." As usual, a lil improv was needed. Almond mead is simply ground almonds it turns out so I smashed some almonds into a fairly fine powder. Ghetto yes- efficient, heck yah.

Pour into liners, filling each with 3 tablespoons of batter (cups should be no more than 2/3 full). Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

For frosting, cream butter until smooth and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until combined. Mix in vanilla and cream. Continue adding sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition (depending on the temperature of your butter, you may need more or less sugar/cream to achieve the proper consistency). Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

If you do not have the soy/heavy cream, try to substitue with something thick like buttermilk or simply use less of reguarly creamer. The consistency depends on how much you put in.

These came out delicious! This has been added to my favorite's list!