A quick drive-by recipe here for gluten-free cupckakes that needed a little more modification than usual — no dairy, no eggs, no soy.   Take a careful look at the ingredients on your chocolate, and chances are it has soy lecithin in it.  Many chocolate manufacturers use soy lecithin as an emulsifier, making for a frustrating search for those who need to avoid soy and are looking for chocolate (and a world without chocolate is indeed a world that is little less joyous!).

If you are looking for soy-free chocolate, you can find Enjoy Life chocolate in a number of health food stores now, or if you really want a treat, the Tanzanian dark chocolate from Cacao-Barry is deep and complex and luxurious!  Make sure to check the ingredients list though, as not all the Cacao-Barry products are soy-free.

Before we dive in, a couple of observations:

• when you are not using butter, using oils can often result in a  muffin-like texture.  For best results, a denser oil such as coconut oil will give you results that are closer to that of butter.  For this recipe, there is so much chocolate in the recipe using coconut oil is overkill.
• there are a number of options for egg-replacements, including flax seed, flax gel, chia gel, applesauce, pumpkin or squash puree, extra baking  powder, or even blended silken tofu.  In this recipe, we were looking to add some binder, but also some texture to break up the denseness of the chocolate, so there is a combination of applesauce and flax seed.
• For best results in gluten-free recipes, a blend of flours helps provide the best texture.   Teff flour is a beautifully fine, high-protein flour that provides loft — the tapioca starch adds tenderness, and the potato starch helps add a nice moist crumb.

Gluten-free Vegan Cupcakes with Whipped Ganache

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together and let stand 10 minutes until gooey.

• 1 T ground flaxseed
• 3 T water

In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients together:

• 90 grams teff flour
• 45 grams tapioca starch
• 45 grams potato starch
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp xantham gum
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a heatproof glass bowl, melt

• 265 grams dark chocolate

when melted, stir in:

• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 3/8 cup grapeseed oil
• flaxseed mixture

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Portion evenly into muffin tins or cupcake liners.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting with whipped ganache

Whipped Ganache

Take 1 tin coconut milk and heat just to the boiling point.  Pour the hot coconut milk over 454 grams dark chocolate and let stand, covered for 10 minutes.  Whisk the mixture together until it becomes dark and glossy.  Let cool to just above room temperature, and whip with a set of hand beaters until it is the consistency of icing, and holds a peak.  This will make enough ganache to frost at least 18 cupcakes.  If you have some leftover, make sure to warm it slightly first.