German Chocolate Cupcakes (eggless)
These Eggless German Chocolate Cupcakes are soft, moist, and packed with rich cocoa flavor. Topped with a classic homemade coconut-pecan topping and a light chocolate buttercream frosting. This easy one-bowl recipe uses pantry staples and delivers bakery-style cupcakes in under 40 minutes.
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients
- 240 ml Milk* see notes
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice or apple cider vinegar
- 130 g Cane Sugar or castor sugar
- 60 ml Oil sunflower or vegetable
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 + ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- ¾ tsp Baking Soda
- 30 g Cocoa Powder
- 150 g All Purpose Flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
Coconut Pecan Topping Ingredients
- 60 ml Milk* see notes
- 60 ml Whipping Cream* see notes
- 60 ml Maple Syrup or agave syrup / golden syrup
- 55 g Dark Brown Sugar or coconut sugar
- 8 g Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 94 g Coconut shredded or dessicated
- 55 g Pecans chopped and toasted
Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients
- 150 g Butter* cut in cubes
- 165 g Powdered Sugar or icing sugar
- 40 g Cocoa Powder sifted
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 40 ml Whipping Cream at room temperature
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcake Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners.
- In a bowl, mix together the milk and vinegar/lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until the sugar is almost dissolved.
- In a separate bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, flour, and salt).
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined.Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way with the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until the cupcakes are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Coconut Pecan Topping Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, combine the milk, cream, maple syrup, cornstarch, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Once it begins to thicken, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
- Transfer it into a bowl and cover the plastic wrap.
- Let the mixture cool completely in the fridge.
Chocolate Buttercream Instructions:
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric whisk or paddle attachment on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until it becomes soft and fluffy.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl in 2-3 parts, then beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until smooth and well combined.
- Add the room temperature whipping cream and vanilla extract, then mix on medium speed for another 2-3 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy, and smooth.
Cupcake Assembly:
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a serrated knife or cupcake corer to remove a small portion from the center of each cupcake to create space for the filling.
- Spoon or pipe a generous amount (at least 1 tablespoon) of the Coconut Pecan Topping into the center of the frosting as shown.
- Prepare a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, pipe the chocolate buttercream frosting evenly on top of each cupcake.For extra flair, top with additional chopped pecans, shredded coconut, or a drizzle of caramel if desired.
Notes
- Cup vs weighing scale: The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams.
- Before you start to make any recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the process will go smoothly and easily.
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with for accuracy.
- Milk: You can use any dairy-free unsweetened milk (like almond, soy, oat) or dairy based whole milk.
- Butter: Dairy-free butter sticks or any butter of your choice.
- Sugar: Cane sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar or castor sugar. Ensure the sugar is vegan-friendly (some sugars are processed with bone char) or use organic cane sugar.
- Whipping Cream: Unsweetened Dairy-free Whipping Cream or use Canned Coconut Cream at room temperature for vegan version or any plain whipping cream of your choice.
- You can remove pecans to make these cupcakes nut-free.