Vegan chocolatey cupcakes

1. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases. Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4. Sift the flour, cacao powder and baking powder into a large bowl, then add the salt. Work in the sugar, using your hands to break up any clumps. Make a well in the middle.

2. Finely grind the chia seeds in a coffee or spice grinder, or by hand with a pestle and mortar. Mix with 100ml coconut drink and leave it to thicken for just a few seconds. Pour the chia mix, melted sunflower spread and remaining 125ml coconut drink into the well. Whisk to a smooth batter. Spoon into the cases and bake for 22 minutes, until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

3. For the frosting, sift the cacao powder into a mixing bowl. Gently heat the coconut drink and chopped cacao in a small pan, stirring with a spatula until melted. Whisk the hot cacao mixture vigorously into the cacao powder until smooth and creamy, then whisk in the sunflower spread. Finally, sift in the icing sugar and whisk again until smooth and creamy. Leave the frosting to cool until it’s of a spoonable consistency, then, using a teaspoon, swirl it onto the cooled cupcakes and top with cacao shavings, if liked.

Cook’s tip
For a quick and easy way to make the decorative shavings, run a peeler along one of the thin edges of the cacao bar, directly over the cakes.