Chef Chloe is the first vegan chef to win Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”! She has a great website where she shares her recipes – this cupcake looks very pretty! If I were making this for myself, I would try to make a healthier version of it (I’d use maple sugar instead of regular sugar). But if I were making these for someone who wasn’t on this journey of a plant based diet, I’d make them this way.
Raspberry Tiramisu Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk, non-dairy milk, or water
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
Soaking Liquid
1/3 cup amaretto
1 tbs instant espresso powder
Raspberry Sauce
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup agave or sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
Frosting
1 tbs instant espresso powder (Chloe recommends Medaglia D’Oro brand)
2 tbs amaretto liquor
1 tbs pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup refined coconut oil (Chloe recommends Spectrum Organics brand)
4 cups organic confectioners sugar
2 tbs water

Garnish
12 raspberries
12 small mint leaves
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs or ground bittersweet chocolate
Steps
Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Sift or whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a bowl
3. In a separate bowl, mix the coconut milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar
4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and whisk until thoroughly mixed
5. Distribute batter into lined cupcake baking pan, and bake for 15-20 minutes
Soaking Liquid
1. Combine amaretto and espresso powder and set aside
Raspberry Sauce
1. In a small saucepan, cook raspberries and agave on medium heat on raspberries wilt down.
2. Let simmer on low for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes a pourable consistency.
3. Remove pot from heat and mix in vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding moe agave if necessary.
5. Let cool in refrigerator
Frosting
1. Combine espresso powder, amaretto, and vanilla in small bowl and mix or swirl bowl until espresso powder has dissolved (about 1 minute)
2. Beat coconut oil in large bowl with an electric mixer for about 1 minute
3. Add confectioner’s sugar and espresso mixture
4. Add 1 tbs of water at a time until desired buttercream consistency is achieved.
5. Beat on high for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides with a spatula often
6. Pipe or frost with a knife
Assembly
1. Using a spoon, cut out a small hole from the top of each cupcake (scoop out about 1 tbs of cake)
2. In the hole of the cupcake, layer approximately 1 tsp of soaking liquid, 1 tbs of raspberry sauce, 2 tsp of cacao, and piped frosting on top
3. Garnish with a raspberry and mint leaf
Thank you Chef Chloe!