Vegan food blogger Rebecca Newman has specially created a recipe for Chocolate and Peanut butter cupcakes with Peanut Butter icing. This recipe is also gluten free and sugar free, what’s not to love! These cupcakes are a perfect guilt-free treat for one, or make a statement with a Burleigh platter to present your show stoppers in style.
Rebecca is a passionate vegan, gluten free foodie inspired by eating well to improve her health and well-being. Suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, Rebecca became a vegan and started sharing her recipes to help and inspire other to be more creative with their cooking. Through her Instagram (@thefatiguedfoodie) Rebecca wanted to show how vegan food can still be exciting and delicious despite having the “boring vegetables and salads” stigma attached.
To make 10 cupcakes you will need:
35g - Raw cacao powder
240ml - Rude health peanut milk
85g - Whole earth sweetener (Stevia based)
140g - Gluten free plain flour (I used Doves Farm)
2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter (I used pip and nut, make sure there is no added sugar or oil)
75ml - Sunflower Oil
1/2 tsp - Baking powder
3/4 tsp - Bicarbonate of soda
1tsp - Apple cider vinegar
1tsp - Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp - Salt
Couple of handfuls of blanched peanuts
For the peanut butter icing:
85g - Peanut butter
75g - Vegan butter
200g - Natvia natural sweetner icing sugar (or a sugar alternative)
Method
For the icing:
Place the peanut butter into a blender (needs to be a thick and creamy smooth peanut butter such as Meridian, also no added sugar, salt or palm oil) along with the vegan butter and the Natvia natural sweetener icing sugar (substitute for normal icing sugar if can't be found, just won't be sugar free).
Place in a food mixer and turn on at low speed and increase to higher speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, if the mixture is too thick add some rude health peanut milk 1 Tbsp at a time.
Leave to whip for 3 to 5 minutes.
Place in the fridge until ready to use.
To make the sponge:
Heat oven to 180 degrees.
In a large bowl add the milk and apple cider vinegar, leave it for a couple of minutes to ferment. Add the oil, sweetener and vanilla and whisk vigorously till combined.
In a separate bowl sift the flour, cacao powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Then add this it parts to the liquid and stir well making sure there are no lumps.
Stir through the peanut butter then pour the batter equally into cake cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through and a skewer comes out clean.
While the cakes are cooked and cooling roast the peanuts at 180 until golden brown (this will only take minutes so keep an eye on them) remove from the oven then leave to cool and then chop roughly.
Use this time to make yourself a cup of tea to accompany your sweet treat.
When the cakes are cool, use an apple corer or spoon to make small wells in the middle of the cakes. Fill these with some peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, your choice) I use pip and nut as it's nice and runny!
Top with the peanut butter icing, some chopped roasted peanuts and flakes of sea salt if you wish.
Serve on your favourite Burleigh ware and enjoy!