Recipe: Bake the cutest vegan Valentine cupcakes
Passionate about food which is as full of goodness as flavour, Cambridge nutritionist and plant-based chef Melanie Hanspall shares a monthly recipe with Velvet. On the menu for February: vegan Valentine cupcakes
A perfect Valentine's recipe you can make for your loved ones! My carrot cupcakes are delicious, healthier than most cakes and nutrient-dense with carrots, raisins, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds. Wholemeal flour increases the fibre content further.
Ingredients (to make 12 cakes):
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup wholemeal flour
3/4 cup coconut sugar or brown unrefined sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
Handful raisins
2 tablespoons chia seeds stirred into 5 tablespoons water (egg replacement)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sweet cinnamon powder
6 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons plant milk
Pinch sea salt
Red natural food colouring or beetroot powder
Pumpkin seeds and rose petals for garnish
Method:
Make the chia egg replacement by adding the chia seeds to the water, stir and set aside for five minutes.
In a mixing bowl, add the sugar and chia seed mixture and mix on medium speed until mixture is combined (approximately a minute).
Gradually add the oil, mixing slowly until combined.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, sea salt and cinnamon into the mixture and mix together.
Add the carrot and raisins and mix until everything is combined into a batter.
In a cake/muffin tin, add paper cupcake cases and divide the mixture.
Bake in the oven at 160°C for around 25 minutes or until the cakes are cooked. Check by skewering a cocktail stick into the cakes; if it comes out clean, they're ready.
Make your icing by mixing two tablespoons of plant milk into the icing sugar, adding a few drops of beetroot powder or red colour.
When cakes are cooled, decorate with the icing, pumpkin seeds and rose petals. Enjoy!
For more information about Melanie’s work as a nutritionist, plus more plant-based recipe inspiration, see lovenutritioncambridge.co.uk
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