Black Forest Cupcakes (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)

Cherry filling and lightly sweetened whipped cream transform these ordinary gluten-free chocolate cupcakes into something truly special.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.
Mix together the wet ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a smaller bowl, combine dry ingredients together and add this to the wet ingredients. Stir just until combined and be careful not to overmix!
1/3 cup (40 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup (52 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder, 4 1/2 tablespoons (65 grams) refined coconut oil, 1/3 cup (106 grams) honey, 5 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce, 2 large eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pour the batter evenly into the 8 paper liners. My liners were a little less then 2/3 full.
Bake for about 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out mostly clean. Moist crumbs and a little stickiness are okay - just not raw batter. These are incredibly moist so if the toothpick comes out totally clean (like a normal cupcake), they're probably overdone.

Put the cherries in a medium saucepan and smash them with the bottom of a glass. Add the honey and lemon juice and stir until combined.
2 cups pitted cherries, 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey, 4 teaspoons lemon juice
Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Let cool completely before filling the cupcakes.

Use a paring knife to cut out a section of the cupcake, about 1 inch into the cupcake. Set these cut out portions aside
Fill the cupcakes with the filling.
To prevent the cherry filling from bleeding, I cut off just the top part of the cupcake cutouts and placed it back on the cupcake.
For the whipped cream, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
1/2 cup (120 ml) whipping cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Spoon this onto the top of the cupcakes.
Add grated chocolate and a cherry right before serving.
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These are best enjoyed cold.

The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.