Black Forest gateau cupcakes
‘Black Forest cake is so popular with my friends and family that I had to come up with a vegan version of it. When I finally did, I made it into these cupcakes!’ says Gulin. ‘The chocolate-cherry-whippedcream combination is a winner, and the high quality of the ingredients used makes them so much tastier than other Schwarzwald desserts!’
Makes 12
● 130g plain flour
● 65g plain wholemeal flour
● 80g semolina
● 45g cocoa powder
● 2 tsp baking powder
● 1 tsp bicarbonate of baking soda
● ¼ tsp salt
● 100g sunflower oil
● 260g brown rice syrup
● 170ml plain soy milk
● 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
● Grated zest of 2 lemons
● 60g chopped vegan dark chocolate
● 360g cherries in Kirsch
● 1 tsp arrowroot powder
● Whipped soy cream, to decorate
FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
● 130g finely chopped vegan dark chocolate
● 50ml non-dairy milk
● 2 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/gas mark 4. Mix the flours, semolina, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of baking soda and salt in a bowl.
2 In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, syrup, milk, lemon juice and zest. Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix gently with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate.
3 Divide the cake mixture between the muffin cases. Then, bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 4
For the chocolate frosting, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water – do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a pan until just before boiling. Pour the melted chocolate into the hot milk and whisk until smooth. Add the syrup and mix well. Allow to cool for 45 minutes or until set.
5 Drain the cherries, saving the Kirsch. Mix the arrowroot into a couple of teaspoons of cold water, then stir into the reserved Kirsch in a pan. Set over a medium heat and whisk until it thickens a little – about 2 minutes.
6 Scoop a little well out of the top of each cooled cupcake with a teaspoon. Carefully pour about 1 teaspoon Kirsch syrup in each well. Place a cherry in there, too. Briefly whisk the cooled chocolate frosting, then spread over the cupcakes. Spoon a dollop of whipped soy cream onto each cupcake, and top with a couple of cherries and a drizzle of the Kirsch syrup. Serve immediately.