These super moist chocolate cupcakes pack tons of chocolate flavor and are my new favorite go-to chocolate cupcake. They are naturally made dairy and egg-free but can ALSO be made gluten-free! These cupcakes are paired perfectly with my light and creamy homemade dairy-free chocolate buttercream.

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TIPS FOR MAKING THESE CUPCAKES DAIRY, EGG, AND GLUTEN-FREE

• I typically use almond milk for the dairy substitute, but any dairy-free milk could work here. You will mix your vinegar and dairy-free milk to create dairy-free buttermilk.
• These cupcakes work great with flaxseed for egg replacement. You will need to follow package instructions for one egg. It turned out to be 1 tablespoon of flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons water for mine. Then set aside to allow it to thicken and absorb the water. 
• For the gluten-free option, I used King Arthur Gluten Free 1:1 flour. But any measure for measure gluten-free flour will work with this recipe. 

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Put the mixer away because all you need for these cupcakes are two mixing bowls and a whisk. You will have one mixing bowl for dry ingredients and another for wet ingredients. Then you will mix them. I prefer to whisk my chocolate cupcakes by hand to be sure to remove any clumps that may form from the flour or cocoa powder. 

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I highly recommend sifting your flour and cocoa powder beforehand to ensure no clumps form in your batter when going gluten-free. 

To create the rich chocolate flavor of these cupcakes, I chose to use dutch-processed cocoa. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is different from regular cocoa powder. If you don't have dutch-processed cocoa powder, then do not worry, you can still use natural cocoa powder, but it will taste different! 

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Your batter will not be thick and will be rather liquidy. If your batter were thicker, it would result in more dense and brownie-type cupcakes. 

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DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

For my homemade dairy-free buttercream, I've created a few tips that you will need to follow for it to be light and creamy!

1. Use slightly cold butter, not room temperature. You want your butter soft enough to cream together but not too soft. You will beat your butter for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Heat your dairy-free chocolate and dairy-free milk in a microwaveable bowl for 30 seconds. Then stir until blended and smooth. Allow this to cool before adding to your butter, or it could melt your butter.
3. Once cooled, add your chocolate ganache to your butter and beat until smooth.
4. Sift in 3 cups of powdered sugar. I know, I said SIFT! Personally, this is my least favorite step because I always make such a mess, but it does make a difference in creating that light and creamy texture of your buttercream. So sift away! 
5. Beat until it starts to come together, then add your vanilla extract. Continue beating for another 5 minutes. It may seem excessive to mix your buttercream this long, but it makes it incredibly smooth and worth it! 

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Chocolate lovers will rejoice with these moist and delicious chocolate cupcakes that you can share with anyone! I used Wilton 1M piping tip. 

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