#CupcakeDay

Doesn’t everyone love a good cupcake? Well the Alzheimer’s Society definitely think we do! Their new big fundraiser, in an attempt to defeat dementia, is #cupcakeday which is taking place across the country this Thursday (16/06/16). Now I heard about this a few weeks ago (thanks Magic fm) and it inspired me to get baking. But there was one problem… I couldn’t find a really good looking vegan cupcake recipe, let alone one that was gluten-free and free from refined sugar as well! This is fair enough as the main ingredients of cupcakes are butter, sugar, flour and eggs but it wasn’t good enough for me. So if, like me, you want to enjoy cupcake day and maybe raise a little money for charity but in a healthy and happy way I have created the recipe for you to spoil your friends and family with and they’ll never know it’s not got any of the normal ‘good stuff’ in (my housemates at uni definitely didn’t notice :P)

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Cacao Crazy Cupcakes

I love chocolate so there was no question for me my cupcakes had to be chocolatey but I made sure they were full of goodness too. Raw cacao is full of calcium, iron, vitamin c and magnesium; flaxseed is bursting with fiber and omega 3; and, interestingly enough, there was a study in 2006 which showed that coconut oil can boost brain function in Alzheimer’s patients. I timed myself the second time I made the cupcakes and full prep and cooking time came to just under 30mins. The frosting is super simple and takes no time at all to whizz up and put top but the cakes also taste great without it. One thing I thought was important was that there were no nuts involved in my recipe as, although I love them and they’re really nutritious, I know a lot of people with but allergies so wanted to make something they could have too 🙂 Although for some of you that read my blog regularly you will be surprised to see banana pop up in the frosting but I doesn’t taste that bananay I swear.This recipe makes 12 cupcakes so if you’re having a little party double it and make 24! You might need that many, they really are that good 😛 They keep for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge but are best straight out of the oven. Total cost: £4.68, Cost per cupcake: 39p!

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Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 130g coconut sugar
• 130g coconut oil
• 2 tbs milled golden flaxseed (mixed with 6 tbs of water)
• 130g buckwheat flour
• 40g cacao powder
• 2ts baking powder
• 5-6tbs water

For the frosting:

• 1 ripe banana
• 5 tbs cacao powder
• 4 tbs maple syrup
• 4 tbs coconut oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the coconut sugar and coconut until it’s well combine and you can’t see any white of the oil.
3. Add in the flaxseed and water mixture and stir well.
4. Sift in the buckwheat flour, cacao powder and baking powder and combine well.
5. Add in 5-6 tbs of water until the mixture looks like chocolate mousse.
6. Half fill each of the cases with the mixture. Place tray in the oven and bake for 13mins.
7. Whilst the cakes are in the oven mash the banana then put all the frosting ingredients into a food processor (or mixing bowl of you don’t have one) and whizz (or mix) them together until smooth.
8. Take the cakes out of the oven. Leave to cool on a cooling rack for 10mins before topping with frosting and enjoying.

 

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Society in their attempt to raise money to defeat dementia and/or support your local #cupcakeday events.

To donate and find out more about cupcake day visit the Cupcake day website here.

If you donate let me know and I’ll owe you a hug and a cupcake 😛 Hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe 🙂