CHERRY DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

I love challenges. Like this one, to take a fast food item and magically transform it into a gourmet experience. To find ways to bring gluten-free baking to another level. It’s not that I don’t like gooey cakes, but fluffy and well-baked are a much more preferred option. It’s also an exploration of all the possibilities that a simple banana bread recipe can offer.

Total prep & bake 55 minutes
Makes 12 cupcakes

ALL YOU NEED

4 bananas, overripe are best
50ml coconut oil, melted
100g coconut sugar
130g oat flour (look for the gluten-free label if it’s of any importance to you)
50g walnut flour or any finely ground nuts (naturally gluten-free)
60g oat flakes, fine
20g cacao powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp organic baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt
a pinch of nutmeg powder

Quick homemade cherry jam

150g cherries, no pits, cut in half
1 tbsp coconut blossom nectar sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil
a pinch of bourbon vanilla

The Ganache

100g dark chocolate
50g coconut milk, the thick part
a pinch of salt

HOW TO MAKE

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Larger Bowl #1: First, mash the bananas. Add the melted coconut oil, and sugar and stir quickly using a spatula.
Bowl #2: Combine all dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of liquids and stir gently using a spatula or a wooden spoon. It’s extremely important to mix by hand and not with a  mixer or food processor, as hand-mixing will create a truly fluffy bake.

In case you use silicon molds or a non-stick muffin tray – slightly grease with coconut oil using a brush. If you use a muffin tray, simply place the paper cups inside.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Check on them 5 minutes before your timer rings. You know, you gotta become friends with your oven.

Set aside to cool completely. Leave the cakes in the tray for 5 minutes or so and then transfer to a cooling wire rack. Once they are completely cooled, you can proceed with assembling.

While the cakes bake, proceed with making the cherry jam and ganache.

Cut the cherries in halves and remove the pits. In a small pan or casserole place the coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla with the cherries. Stir and reduce the heat from medium to low. Let it simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced and is the consistency of syrup.

For the ganache – cut your preferred chocolate in small pieces, so it melts easier, and melt over a water bath. Add the coconut milk and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat.

By this time the cupcakes are cooled down a bit. Insert a tsp of the cherry jam into each cake. If your molds don’t have a hole, use a spoon to make space for the cherry filling, followed by a generous spoon of the chocolate ganache. Top with the most gorgeous cherries you’ve selected from the start and add a cute flower touch.

You just created magic!

SPRINKLE SOME MAGIC – THE TOPPINGS

Select cherries for the decoration on top.
Tiny white flowers make it extra special. These were actually the only ones I could find in the garden right now as we transition from spring to summer bloom. Wild strawberry blossoms are cute, don’t you think?

DELICIOUS NOTES:

Cherries paired with dark chocolate is hard to beat, yet you are welcome to use your favorite seasonal fruits. In case you have only frozen cherries available, same instructions apply. Sweetener – you can use any sweetener you like, my preferred choice is coconut sugar as it adds a special sweetness and caramel flavor. Chocolate – easily replaceable by any chocolate you have available, white chocolate will also work great!