Recipe of the month: Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes
Millie Godfrey was our volunteer from April – July 2024. She spoiled us all with her vegan dishes, and we managed to steal this recipe from our Strawberry Fairy. It’s for a cake, or cupcakes, or for whatever takes your fancy.
Millie: Growing up, my mum always made this cake for her friend who was vegan—which us kids thought a strange, foreign concept. This cake is as fudgy and decadent as non-vegan recipes. The coffee, balsamic vinegar and olive oil all work together to create a slightly earthy cake, which is exceptionally moist. I like to eat it best, when it is still warm from the oven, with a dusting of icing sugar. But I’ve also included the recipe for a vegan chocolate ganache, which makes for a delicious icing. Alternatively, you can split the mixture into cupcakes for a tasty lunchbox treat, or cute afternoon tea offering. Decorate with fresh fruit and flowers for a joyous occasion. For the famous Tolhurst Organic Strawberry Fayre, we used fresh strawberries, and it was a winner!
Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes
By Published: May 25, 2026
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 50 mins
- Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
Millie Godfrey was our volunteer from April – July 2024. She spoiled us all with her vegan dishes, and we managed to steal this …
Ingredients
- 240 g plain flour or gluten-free flour mix without raising agent
- 225 g caster sugar
- 60 g cocoa powder dark and good quality
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 tsp vanilla essence pure
- 430 ml cooled coffee
- 150 g dark chocolate chopped
- 125 g vegan butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C, Gas Mark 3.
- Line a muffin tin with paper cases (Tip: muffin cases give a deeper cupcake)
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine evenly and then create a large well in the centre.
Pour the olive oil, vinegar, vanilla and coffee (or water) into the well. Using the whisk, start in the middle, and stir the mixture gently, until it makes a smooth batter. Don’t worry if there are a few small lumps. These will disappear in the oven. The mixture is quite runny. Don’t be alarmed at the consistency!
- Divide the cake mixture equally between the twelve paper cases. (Tip: Use an ice cream scoop to ensure you have evenly portioned cupcakes).
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. The edges usually get lovely and crispy from the oil, but you still want a bit of fudge in the middle.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and from the tin, and let them cool in the cases on a wire rack. You can either dust with icing sugar to serve, or ice it when cool (see below).
- The cupcakes keep in an airtight container for about four days (if they’re not eaten sooner!)
- Chocolate icing
Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, then set over a saucepan of simmering water, (but don’t let the water touch the bowl).
Stir until melted, then remove the bowl from the saucepan, and stir in the oil.
Leave to cool at room temperature, until it’s thick enough to spread on the cupcakes. (Cooling can take a couple of hours so make sure you factor this in). You can speed it up by putting the icing in the fridge, but keep an eye on it, as it will need stirring often.
