Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes

Seattle is known for its beautiful water views, cold weather, and lots of rain.  Did you know that Seattle is also known as a thriving vegan hub?  That's right! Seattle is home to the tasty vegan Mighty-O's doughnuts, great restaurants, and an annual VegFest!  As you can see, Seattleites love the water as much as they love hiking the Olympic Mountains:

 

As a food loving vegan, I made a commitment with my sister to visit a new vegan joint every month throughout the Seattle area.  Last week, we went to the incredible Chaco Canyon near Alki beach.  The menu had tasty eats like the THC sandwich, the Hippie Bowl, and the Community Bowl which was a pay what you can bowl of nutritious food for those in hard times.  Despite the huge menu of vegan and mostly raw selections, Chaco Canyon is known for their raw enchiladas!  It was my first time eating a raw enchilada and their sprouted lentil tortilla convinced me that I could become a raw foodist.  So, I came home and broke out the dehydrator that my mother had gifted to me 6 months ago.  What was the first thing I made, you might ask?  Raw cupcakes of course!!  Here is the recipe so that you can make your own rawmazing Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes! Enjoy!

Makes 12
Cake Batter Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond meal
3 cups dried shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut meat (check out my how to for opening a coconut)
12 medjool dates, pitted, chopped*
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut water (you could also use regular filtered water)
*if your dates are dry, soak them in water for 2 hours to plump them up before using

Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours, rinsed, drained
1 cup coconut meat
1/4 cup coconut water (or coconut milk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract (optional. This is for extra sweetness)
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
3/4 cup fresh raspberries (you can also use frozen if that's what you have)
1 Tbsp. coconut butter
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquid

Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
2 medjool dates, pitted, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp. coconut butter

Method:

1. To make the batter, the first thing to do is turn your shredded coconut into coconut flour.  So process 1/2 cup at a time in a coffee grinder.  Do not use a food processor as this will make coconut butter.  Using the coffee grinder will turn the shredded coconut into a fine flour.

2. In a large bowl, add the coconut flour, almond flour, and sea salt.  Whisk to combine. Set aside.

3. To a food processor fitted with the "S type" blade, add the dates, coconut meat, salt, vanilla, maple syrup and the coconut water. Process until smooth.  Add the contents of your flour bowl into the food processor with the date mixture.  Process to combine until smooth and well incorporated.

4.  Line your dehydrator trays with 12 standard sized cupcake cups.  Spoon the batter into each cup as you would do with traditional cupcakes.  Since the dough will not rise, what you see is what you get.  So the batter might need a little "moulding" to take on a nice cupcake appearance.  Do this for each cupcake and then place the trays back into the dehydrator.  Dehydrate for 12-16 hours.  Then remove from dehydrator and allow to cool.

5. To make the frosting, add all ingredients except for the coconut oil and coconut butter to a food processor.  Melt the coconut oil by placing it on the stove in a pot of warm water.  Once the oil is melted, add the coconut butter to it and whisk the two together until they are both liquid and well combined.  Once your ingredients in the food processor are smooth, while the food processor is running, add your liquid coconut oil and coconut butter.  Process another minute to incorporate.  Pour frosting mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until it has a buttercream consistency.  The longer it cools, the firmer it becomes and the easier it will be to frost your cupcakes.

6. Take your cooled cupcakes and cut the center from each cake.  Using a butter knife, cut about 1 tbsp. sized cups from the center.  This is where you will add the filling. 

7. To make filling, add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.  Then spoon the filling into each cupcake as pictured.

8. The last and most fun step is to frost your cupcakes! If you have a piping bag, then pipe away! If not, just drop a few tablespoons of frosting on top of the cupcake and use a butter knife to smooth it. 

 

I made cupcakes with filling and without.  Some people like the plain and some people like the filling.  Try both ways and see which you prefer.  Either way, don't forget to garnish the top of your cupcake with a fresh raspberry or two!  Enjoy your Raw Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes!

Thank you for stopping by the Venturing Vegan blog! If you enjoyed this post and would like more from Venturing Vegan, you can find me on Instagram and Facebook for daily vegan and raw inspiration.  If you like this recipe, please feel free to share!  Vegan recipes should be like the sweetness of fresh berries, enjoyed, savored, and shared with friends and family!