Chocolate Mocha Cream Namaste Cupcakes (gluten-free, vegan)

Cupcakes, oh my! I have made hundreds of cupcakes and even a few cakes over the past few months for many close friends for birthdays and parties and such. So, again, I was recently asked to make a few dozen cupcakes for a local volunteer appreciation event. I of course said, yes! And, decided that I would make things easier on myself and make the cupcake base from my favorite gluten-free baking blend company.

That company: Namaste Foods. It is a great place to start when you are a new at the gluten-free (and even dairy-free) journey. They give you lots of amazing options, and you can find them at most local grocery stores or can easily buy online at Namaste Foods or Vitacost (get free $10 coupon HERE). They also use some of the "better" baking ingredients, using dehydrated cane juice for sweetener and not using any other junk or fillers. I love that! I have made this mix many times and I am sure you have heard me talk about them before, and especially the chocolate cake mix will easily trick any by-passer to think that for sure they are not eating a gluten-free dessert! It is that good (and easy!)

I'm no genius, but I bet some of my from-scatch gluten-free vegan cupcakes may be a bit intimidating for the beginner gluten-free friend. Mixing flours and finding new ingredients can be a little stressful in the beginning. It takes time friends! Don't fret too much, but yet, you still want to make something special for the upcoming birthday, party or special gathering. This recipe is just for you then! It is super simple with the gluten-free flours already mixed and you can make your cupcakes just as simple as putting together a 'box mix'.

So my next few posts will be some cupcake recipes for beginners with the help of Namaste Cake mixes. I added some ingredients to the mixes to make them a little more than generic and with a little more sparkle. My next Namaste cupcake recipe will be Strawberry Shortcake with the Vanilla Cake mix, so stay tuned for a few more recipes as well.

But, let's just enjoy this recipe shall we. Decadent. Lots of coffee chocolate flavor and lots of roll-your-eyes oooing and ahhing. Seriously. Top with a little mocha cream frosting and some chocolate or coffee bean shavings and you are in heaven!

Chocolate Mocha Cream Namaste Cupcakes 
(gluten-free, vegan)

1 package Chocolate Cake Mix from Namaste Foods

1 1/2 cup of strongly brewed coffee (regular, decaf, or a coffee/tea sub)
*I used fair-trade organic decaf for the flavor*

2/3 cup of melted extra virgin organic coconut oil

3 chia-gel eggs (3 TB of ground chia seed meal plus 9 TB of water whisked together in separate bowl)

Mix the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then let sit for a minute to let the chia eggs gel into the rest of the batter. Pour the batter into cupcake liners in a cupcake tin. Fill liners 2/3's full and you will get about 16 cupcakes. 

*NOTE* If you want to use eggs, then sub the chia gel eggs, for 3 eggs and your batter may make a few more cupcakes than 16. I have made this recipe with and without eggs, and the final product is very close to the same!

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes and check to see that they are baked through and not gooey with a tooth pick. Then pull from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack or counter. Let the cakes completely cool before frosting (1-2 hours). This recipe will make between 16-20 cupcakes depending on your size.

Vegan Mocha Cream Frosting Recipe

2 cups of organic powdered sugar

1/3 cup of Organic Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening

2-3 TB of strong brewed coffee

1-2 ts. of pure vanilla extract

Use a hand held mixer to blend up the frosting and make it smooth, then pour it into a frosting bag with a wilton decorating tip if you want to go all fancy, and then top with chocolate or coffee bean shavings. You can do this with a potato peeler and a dark chocolate bar. Just shave off the chocolate like you are peeling a potato. Or use some ground coffee beans (I say always use decaf so to make it more eater-friendly!) Then viola, you have some pretty amazing cupcakes on your hands!

I topped my cupcakes with a little frosting, shaved chocolate AND ground coffee. Perfect. If you want to avoid powdered sugar you can use a honey-based frosting here, and just add a touch of coffee or cocoa/chocolate for flavor as well.

P.S.
I hope you try your hand at making some gluten-free cupcakes, especially as easy as these. And, if for some reason you rather have someone like me do the job for you (and you live locally!) I would love to make some cupcakes or cake for your special birthday, gathering or party. Really! I am starting to do this more and more and have been loving it. So if you or a friend is interested in hiring me for your gluten-free cake or cupcakes for your special event, then please let me know! I would love to do the job!

Disclaimer: Namaste Food Co. donated the cake mixes for this baking adventure, but they did not give me any monetary reward for stating my review or opinion. My opinion is purely my own and would be completely willing to share that with any one who asks :)

Much love [and cupcakes] to you as always!