Chocolate Pomegranate Cupcakes
For all of you with a sweet tooth, I didn’t think it’d be right to only share a savoury Valentine's day recipe idea. So here is something sweet, and plant-based, that you can round off the evening with.
Recently, there was a box of pomegranates that appeared in our house. As soon as I saw them, my mind went to chocolate cupcakes. I’m not sure why, but I had to find a way to integrate the two. That's how this recipe was born. These cupcakes are filled with pomegranate custard in the middle, which adds a bit of a surprise after the first bite. They’re finished off with pomegranate infused icing, bringing just a touch of citrusy taste to offset the icing's sweetness. I made juice from the pomegranates myself, but you can absolutely use the store-bought kind. If you do, the color of your icing may be slightly different than the ones I made here, but they'll taste delicious either way.
Chocolate Pomegranate Cupcakes
Yield
Prep time
Total time:
How it's made
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)
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Custard |
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1 cup unsweetened almond milk |
Place in a small pot over medium heat and cook until it boils. Keep cooking for another 2 - 3 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. |
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⅓ cup maple syrup |
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⅓ cup pomegranate juice |
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3 tbsp corn starch |
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½ tsp salt |
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1 tsp vanilla extract |
Add to the above mixture, mix, and leave it to cool while the cupcakes are baking. |
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Cupcakes |
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1½ cup flour |
Place in a bowl and mix well. |
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1 cup sugar |
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1 cup cocoa |
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1 tsp baking soda |
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½ tsp salt |
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1 cup water |
Place in another bowl and mix. Then add to the bowl with dry ingredients. Using the mixer, mix all batter ingredients until nicely combined. |
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⅓ cup vegetable oil |
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1 tsp vanilla extract |
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1 tsp distilled white vinegar |
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Place muffin liners in each slot of a 12 piece muffin pan. Divide the batter among the 12 liners. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a middle of a muffin comes out clean. Take the muffins out of the oven and the pan, place them on a cooling rack, and let them cool for at least 30 minutes. |
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Once the muffins are cool, remove the liners. Using a small knife, cut out roughly a ⅔ inch wide circle out of the bottom of each muffin and fill it with about 1½ tsp of the custard. Set aside. |
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Icing |
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2 cups icing sugar |
Place in a large bowl and start mixing with a mixer. |
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1 cup pomegranate juice |
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½ cup margarine (room temperature) |
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½ tsp salt |
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1-2 tbsp almond milk (as needed) |
If the icing seems too dry, add almond milk, little by little, and keep mixing until the right consistency is reached. |
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Spread or pipe the icing over each cupcake and enjoy! |
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