Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

We've teamed up with @veganshannon to bring you cupcakes that are PERFECT for Christmas time, thanks to the addition of our Nutty Choc Balls! Each cupcake is topped with one ball to make them extra indulgent, as after all that’s what Christmas is all about, right?

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup oat milk
• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 1 medium vegan “egg” (I used an aquafaba egg replacement but flax eggs are also fine)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

 For the chocolate buttercream: 

• 1 block of vegan butter (250g)
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

• Chopped hazelnuts
• 12 LoveRaw Nutty Choc Balls

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a cupcake tin with 12 cases. 
2. Add the oat milk and vegan butter to a saucepan on low heat until the butter has melted. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and caster sugar.
4. Add the melted butter mixture to the dry ingredients along with the egg replacement and vanilla extract. Mix until completely combined and smooth.
5. Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases and place them in the oven for 25 minutes. 
6. Poke a skewer through one of the cupcakes to check that they are fully cooked. If it comes out clean then they are done, if not, place them back in the oven for a further few minutes.
7. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a cooling rack before icing them.
8. To make the chocolate buttercream, simply add the room-temperature vegan butter to a mixing bowl and mix until smooth for a few minutes. Slowly add the icing sugar and cocoa powder and mix until a smooth buttercream has formed. You may need to add a splash of oat milk (or other dairy-free milk) to thin it out a bit (only 1 -2 tbsp). Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
9. Add the buttercream to a piping back and decorate each cupcake. 
10. Roll the cupcakes in some chopped hazelnuts and finally top off each one with 1 @loveraw Nutty Choc Balls

Addtional Information
Nutrition	Calories: 350-400 kcal Total Fat: 20-25g Saturated Fat: 10-15g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 200-250mg Total Carbohydrates: 40-45g Dietary Fiber: 1-2g Sugars: 25-30g Protein: 2-3g Note: Exact nutrition may vary based on the specific brands of ingredients used. For precise values, it’s recommended to use a nutrition calculator.
Prep Time	20 minutes
Cook Time	25 minutes
Total Time	45 minutes
Servings	12 cupcakes