• Preheat your oven to 350F. Fill a muffin tin with 8 cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl whisk together the cupcake batter dry ingredients including the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together the cupcake batter wet ingredients including the soy milk, sugar, olive oil, applesauce, and vanilla.
• Add the bowl of whisked dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and use a whisk or spatula to gently mix together until a smooth batter forms. Be careful not to overmix during this step for the ideal cupcake texture!
• Fill each cupcake liner ¾ of the way full with batter. Place the tin of cupcakes into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through. You can use a toothpick to check that the centers are fully cooked before removing.
• Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the baking tray for 5 minutes. Carefully move the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Make the buttercream frosting

• Once the cupcakes have cooled, make your frosting. Add the cold cubed vegan butter to a small bowl and use an electric mixer to cream together until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
• Next, add the sifted cocoa powder and coconut milk to the mixing bowl and whip with the vegan butter until incorporated.
• As the last step, turn down the speed and slowly add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until a smooth frosting forms. I like to start with 1 cup of powdered sugar and add up to 1 ½ if you desire a sweeter frosting.
• Add the frosting to a piping bag and pipe it onto the cooled chocolate cupcakes. Top with optional chocolate shavings and enjoy!