Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Fact: I'm not actually a chocolate fan. I mean, I like it, on occasion, but it's rare that I'll crave it. If I'm going to indulge it's going to be a piece of good quality dark chocolate, at least 85%. Anyway, let's just say I had way to many bars of chocolate (that would've taken me forever to finish), so the next best thing would be, cupcakes! These use dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and strong brewed coffee for an insanely intense chocolate flavor. Don't get me started on this frosting, it's two ingredients, TWO! Roasted sweet potato puree and dark chocolate. I know, what in the world? Trust me. It is good and as good for you as you can get when it comes to indulgent desserts. The cupcake recipe is adapted from an old recipe I found a long time ago (which unfortunately, I can't remember where I found it), but I've tweaked it so that it's gluten-free and paleo friendly. The recipe for the frosting is from Genevieve Ko's Better Baking. Do yourself a favor and use this to frost anything that would require a healthy (pun intended) dollop of chocolate frosting. :)


Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
What you'll need:

• 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee
• 1 oz good quality dark chocolate (85%)
• 2/3 cup maple sugar
• 3/4 cup Otto's Cassava Flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Avocado Mayo (I used Chosen Foods)
• 1/2 cup shaken canned coconut milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups roasted sweet potato
• 10 oz dark chocolate (or semi-sweet)

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted; Mix until smooth. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine the canned coconut milk and lemon juice, stir and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, Otto's Cassava Flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or another clean bowl, beat the mayo, with the lemon/coconut milk mixture, vanilla, and chocolate/coffee mixture until combined. Add the dried ingredients and beat until combined and no lumps remain. 
3. Divide batter evenly in a paper lined muffin tin. Bake at 300F for 20-22 minutes. Cool slightly before removing onto cooling rack. Make the frosting by pureeing the roasted sweet potato in a food processor until completely smooth. Heat the puree in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the chocolate and stir into the sweet potato puree until melted and combined. 
4. Spread frosting over cupcakes. Serve immediately or store them in an airtight container for later, just bring them to room temp before serving.