Having a certain hankering for chocolate cupcakes, combined with a need to take dessert in to work, resulted in a flurry of baking at our house. I had fully intended to do the baking myself, but due to bad planning and needing to go to work (drat it), J ended up doing it all himself. Fortunately, he’s a better baker than I am (that attention to detail thing, you know).

I lifted two recipes off the internet: one for black bottom cupcakes (possibly my favorite type of cupcake EVER), that turned out to be from a David Lebovitz cookbook, and one for vegan coconut cupcakes, courtesy of Everybody Likes Sandwiches. Both were, I thought, wildly successful. The black bottoms were just as they should be, with a light chocolatey crumb below and a dense, sweet-tart, chocolate-flecked top. The coconut cakes were very light and moist with a delightfully delicate crust on top – they would be fantastic with fresh berries or a chocolate icing, but are lovely eaten plain, with a cup of coffee.

I’m going to print both recipes below, mostly so I can get to them when I need them. You never know when the need for a cupcake will strike.

Vegan Coconut Cupcakes

from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup dry grated coconut

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, and salt. Add in the rest of the ingredients, adding the vinegar last. Stir until well combined.

Pour into cupcake liners and bake 30 minutes or until centers come clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Frost (if desired). Decorate with freshly toasted coconut.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes
from The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz, by way of Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 12 full-size or approximately 30 mini cupcakes

For the filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°, and line a muffin tin with muffin liners, preferably foil.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling into the center of each cupcake.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. They will keep well unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.