WHOLE WHEAT CHOOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE COCONUT FROSTING is my newest obsession!  These chocolate cupcakes are so decadent, yet are still very healthy.  They are made from whole wheat flour, sweetened with coconut sugar, and using coconut cream for the frosting.  I mean, how healthy can that get?

I used wholewheat flour but you may also use all-purpose flour.  I chose dutch-pressed cocoa over regular cocoa powder as I find it more chocolatey and rich.  For the sweetener, you may use honey but make sure it’s pure and doesn’t have all the artificial ingredients in there.

So what makes this SUPER-MOIST?  No fancy ingredient, just boiling water.  Seriously, that does magic to your cakes!  I also added espresso powder to this one just because it brings out the chocolate flavor even more.  You may omit it if you want it totally caffeine-free.  But still, it’s a very forgiving recipe and kid-friendly too.  Trust me!  To taste is to believe!

For the frosting, I used canned organic coconut cream which I chilled overnight. The chilling will separate the cream from the coconut water.  When you open the can, you can pour the coconut water into a container and save it for your smoothies.  You only need the coconut cream to make the frosting.  I chilled my mixing bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes before putting the coconut cream in it.   This helps the cream to hold its form much longer while mixing it.  Remember, this doesn’t have any butter in it so working with it in a cool temperature does help.  To sweeten, I used stevia but you may cam try using pure maple or honey.   Then poured some melted chocolate to flavor the frosting.  You can also flavor with fruit extracts like strawberry or raspberry, or just add lemon zest.

So now, let’s bake some cupcakes!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons dutch-pressed cocoa

1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar (or 1/2 cup pure honey)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1 egg

1/2 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup boiling water

FROSTING:

1 can coconut cream (chilled overnight or for at least 3 hours)

1 teaspoon liquid stevia or 1 tbsp pure maple or honey for sweetening

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coconut oil

METHOD

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees celsius.  Line a muffin tray and set aside.  Chill your mixing bowl in the freezer (for the frosting later).

Mix all the dry ingredients together.   Add the egg, milk, olive oil, vanilla extract and mix in medium speed.  Once combined, add the boiling water gently and mix in low or stir with a spoon.   The batter will be runny so don’t worry at all.  This makes the cupcakes really moist.

Pour the batter a little more than half in each muffin tin.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While baking, prepare the frosting.  First, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave or in a double boiler.  Set aside.  Take out the chilled coconut cream.  Pour the coconut water which has separated from the cream into a container.  Set that aside for smoothies or other recipes.   Scoop out all the coconut cream into the chilled mixing bowl.  Using an electric or hand mixer, turn to low then medium speed for 2 minutes and then high speed for another 4-5 minutes or until you see it is getting stiff.   If you’re happy with the consistency, add the stevia or your sweetener of choice, and also pour the melted chocolate into the coconut frosting.  Mix until well incorporated but do not overmix as you don’t want to deflate your frosting.

Scoop the frosting into a piping bag or you can also use a ziplock bag and cut a little hole on the edge.  Meanwhile, check the baked cupcakes and let it cool before frosting.  Frost your cooled cupcakes and enjoy!  You may chill for up to 4 days or freeze the cupcakes for longer storage.

Hope you enjoy these!  Leave a comment below if you have questions or if you have tried making these too.  Tag me in instagram @tara_fitfoodiemommy in your yummy creations!

xo,