I was gonna post this recipe tomorrow, but well I was just to darn in love with it, so just HAD to share it today. Last night I had a bit of a spontaneous cupcake making session, luckily one of the cupcakes survived for photos today. If you’re not a frosting fan the cake mix makes a super nutty bad-ass breakfast muffin, I bet you could even top them with a little bit of crumble topping. Super nutty and moist and made with mashed banana not oil, wholemeal spelt instead of plain white flour, its kinda healthier than a regular cupcake (okay the frosting is still naughty, but hey, nobodies perfect). If you’re not piping the frosting, then half the frosting recipe. Now get baking!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour
1 cup golden caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 cup hazelnut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp ground flax-seed
2 bananas, purred in a food processor or very well mashed

heaped 1/2 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts

Chocolate layer:
200g quality vegan dark chocolate
2 tbsp vegetable shortening
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

Frosting:
1 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp hazelnut milk

Method:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180c/350f and line a 12 hole muffin pan. In one mixing bowl combines the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk together to evenly mix. In a separate bowl combine the hazelnut milk, vanilla, flax-seed and banana, whisk well until slightly thickened, add the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk together until combined. Scoop into the lined muffin tin using an ice cream scoop, sprinkle the tops with a little bit of extra golden caster sugar and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven once fully baked and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the chocolate layer, gently melt the chocolate in the microwave by microwaving for 30 seconds, stirring very well, and repeat until fully melted, Add in the vegetable shortening and stir into the hot melted chocolate, allow to cool a little, then spread on top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts into a shallow dish and press the chocolate coated cupcakes into the hazelnuts, allow to fully cool/set before making the frosting.

To make the frosting beat the shortening until light and fluffy with a fork, then whisk in the hazelnut milk and vanilla. Garb a whisk for whisk next part, add the icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time and gently whisk in, once all the icing sugar has been added give one final whisk and transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle, pipe onto the cupcakes in a cute lil’ spiral, allow to set one last time and then enjoy!