Proof I'll use avocado for anything...

Another winner in the vegan cupcake category. :) These aren't too much different from the other vegan chocolate cupcakes I've made (I really do need to branch out and try other flavours of vegan cupcake) but they have an ingredient that makes them pretty special - AVOCADO!

Yes, my favourite fruit stars in these hunks of chocolately love.
The avocado works as a great substitute for the egg and most of the oil/butter. Since I knew we wouldn't be eating them all at the same time, I skipped a glaze or icing but I'll put a link at the bottom to the original recipe that includes a glaze idea. In the meantime, I'll be working on coming up with a vegan-approved topping that doesn't involve tofu...

Will have to try these again soon using applesauce in place of the oil and adding some semi-sweet chocolate chips (with the tofu-free glaze, of course!) :)

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 avocado, pitted and peeled (i.e.: scooped out of the shell)
1 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup plain non-dairy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 unbleached muffin tin liners

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line cupcake pan with liners.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to combine them.

2. Puree the avocado in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the maple syrup, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and continue to blend until the mixture is creamy. Use the whisk to combine this concoction with the dry ingredients.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool and then decorate if desired.

Reference:
Here's a link to the original recipe "Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes" from the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. You can find the glaze recipe there.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes 2

I've made vegan chocolate cupcakes before but this recipe is quite different! The first ones were super yummy but they had quite a bit of molasses in them and tasted a lot like chocolate gingerbread! Not a problem for me but other people may be a bit weirded out by that! These are a lot more traditional and are some of the most moist cupcakes I have ever had! You would never know these were vegan if you just grabbed one and tried it! :)

It's our nephew's first birthday tomorrow and I was asked to make a batch of vegan cupcakes for the party. Originally, I had planned to make 1 batch of the molasses ones and 1 batch of these but I decided after some thought just to go with these.

This is also my first time using agave nectar as a sweetener - I'm sold! This stuff is totally natural, 100% plant-based, and has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar. It also makes a wonderful vegan substitute for honey. You can mix in into any baking recipe in place of granulated sugar (the ratio is 3/4 cup agave nectar to 1 cup sugar) or stir it into tea in place of honey.

I didn't make the frosting but I'll include the recipe just in case you would like to try it - I've had it before and it is very tasty! Good excuse to satisfy your curiosity and buy a carton of soy milk. :)

PS (and then I swear I will get to the recipe!): The uncooked batter is soooo tasty! :) Best part about vegan baking, really, you get to lick the spoon! And the whisk, and any that drips on the counter, and the spatula... ;)

Here's the recipe - I got this from the mother of one of my students. My changes are in green.


Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups agave nectar (or 2 cups sugar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. white or cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup applesauce (I made some and used that - see tip below!)
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (yeay for chocolate being a superfood! in moderation, of course!)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

For the frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar (you can get some that is "vegan")
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup vegan buttery spread (Earth Balance works well) or vegetable oil
1/3 cup vanilla soy or rice milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Optional fresh raspberries, strawberries, or edible flowers as a garnish

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake papers.

2. Sift the flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Add the baking soda and salt and stir until combined. If you're using dry sugar, mix it in with these ingredients.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the agave nectar (if using it), water, oil, lemon juice, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir well. Pour the water mixture into the dry mixture, whisking vigourously until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.

4. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners (mine was really runny! This is OK). Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (mine only needed 15) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5. To prepare the frosting, blend powdered sugar and cocoa. Melt the buttery spread and then add it, along with the soy milk and vanilla, to the sugar and cocoa mixture. Beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes and garnish if desired.

**Note: You can also make this into a layer cake. Use the same amounts as above but place the completed batter into 2 9-inch round cake pans or 1 9x13-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Bake these cakes for 25-30 minutes at 350 (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

**Applesauce note: So I made this really yummy applesauce yesterday to put into these cupcakes. I kept telling myself "OK, you'll need to give this a quick spin in the food processor so it's not lumpy." Yeah, guess what blondie here forgot to do?! :) Took me a minute to figure out why my batter was lumpy, too! I thought something weird had happened and the agave had reacted with the cocoa or something. :) No, I just had a blonde moment. I was a bit worried the cakes would have weird chunks of apple in them but you can hardly tell.. in the future, or if you try this, make sure and puree the applesauce before adding it to the batter.
Additionally, the applesauce is actually totally optional but it really does add to the moistness of these cakes so it is worth it to throw it in if you have some. It's also super-quick to make! :)

Reference:
I found this in the Fresh Mama's cookbook. The recipe in that book was inspired by one from The Passionate Vegetarian.

Grand Marnier Cupcakes

If you like orange and chocolate together, you have GOT to try these! They are so yummy (I would know, I'm eating one as I type this blog entry!)
I made these for the bridal shower I co-hosted on Saturday. I thought they were perfect since the wedding colours are pink, gold, and chocolate brown - these pretty little cakes incorporated the gold and brown quite nicely.

If you don't have Grand Marnier (or you don't drink/use alcohol), you can use orange juice. I got really lucky and found just enough left in a bottle of GM at my parents' house :) Another tip, if you have a good liquor store nearby or a BevMo, you can sometimes find the mini bottles of Grand Marnier. So much cheaper than buying a huge one! Unless, of course, you like to add it to your margaritas! ;)

These make me think of Christmas - we always get those Chocolate Oranges for Christmas (English thing...) and these have that yummy chocolate-orange combination. I might have to throw down the cash for my own bottle of GM (instead of mooching off mum and dad!) and make some for Christmas Eve!

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Cupcakes
Ingredients:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. finely grated orange peel
1 tsp. Grand Marnier
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream

Glaze:
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. fresh orange juice
2 tbsp. Grand Marnier

Topping:
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. vegetable shortening

Method:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a regular muffin pan with liners.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 3/4 cup sugar at medium speed 5-6 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in one egg, 1 tbsp. orange peel, and 1 tsp. Grand Marnier.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. At low speed, beat sour cream into the butter mixture alternatively with the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, filling two-thirds full (an ice-cream scoop is your best friend for this!)

4. Bake the cupcakes 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

5. While the cupcakes cool, make the glaze. Heat 1/3 cup sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tbsp. Grand Marnier.

6. Poke holes in the top of each cupcake using a toothpick. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of each cake liberally with the Grand Marnier glaze.

7. Now you will make the chocolate topping. Place the chocolate in a small heavy Zip-Lock bag; add shortening and seal. Place the bag in a pan of simmering water and turn off the heat. Allow the bag to sit for several minutes; remove from the water. Smooth melted chocolate by working the bag with your hands. Cool 5 minutes. Cut off a tiny corner of the bag; drizzle chocolate over the cupcakes.

Daisy Cupcakes

I co-hosted a bridal shower for a good friend over the weekend. The friend who I helped out (the other host) requested these cupcakes which I'd made for an all-girls' brunch a couple years ago. They are really cute! The last time I made them, I used green frosting and yellow spice drops to look more like actual daisies. This time, I decided to use pink frosting and pink and purple spice drops since the wedding colours are pink, chocolate brown, and gold.

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Quick Vanilla Frosting recipe (see below)
12 spice drops
Large marshmallows

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the butter, sour cream, egg, yolks, and vanilla and beat the wet ingredients into the dry at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and stir by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

3. Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared pan (an ice-cream scoop works wonders for this!) Bake until the cupcake tops are pale gold and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Use a knife to lift the cakes from the tin and transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Cool to room temperature before decorating.

Quick Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2/3 tbsp. milk
2/3 tsp. vanilla extract
dash salt

Method:
1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until fluffy, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar and mix to combine. Increase speed to high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add milk, vanilla, and salt. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, 30 more seconds.

2. Add food coloring, if desired, and mix until all is incorporated.

To Decorate:
1. Frost the cupcakes with the butter frosting.

2. Using a clean knife, cut each marshmallow into 4-5 pieces (it helps to dip the knife in warm water to clean it). Place the marshmallow pieces onto the frosted cakes.

3. Place a spice drop in the center of the marshmallow "petals" to form the center of the flower.

Reference:
I used the "Yellow Cupcakes with Simple Chocolate Frosting" recipe from Baking Illustrated for the cupcakes (but I did not use the chocolate frosting, obviously!) For the frosting, I used a butter cream frosting recipe I've had for years. The idea for the daisy decorations came from a Cupcake-Decorating Contest article in an issue of Cook's Country magazine (I think that just came in the mail one day, totally random! Glad I kept it, though!)

Easy Birthday Cupcakes

Cupcakes are so versatile! Use these to celebrate any occasion - birthdays, showers, holidays, or just because it's Wednesday! :) These are as easy as the boxed mixes, but taste far better.

The recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour (you can substitute 3 cups minus 6 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (you can substitute 1 1/4 tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 1/4 cups total - let stand 5 minutes before using; or sub 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until combined.

3. Whisk eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until well-blended. In a steady stream, pour sugar into eggs, whisking constantly.

4. Gradually whisk in melted butter, then add buttermilk.

5. Add 1/3 dry ingredients. Gently combine. Repeat twice with remaining dry ingredients. Stir until most lumps are gone but do not overmix!

6. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 with mix. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool about 1 hour before frosting.

**There are a couple simple frosting options available on this blog.**

Vegan Charming Chocolate Cupcakes

lol that's my nephew. :) His mom (my sister) is vegan and I got this recipe from one of her books.

This recipe makes about 15-18 cupcakes (the original recipe said it made 6 - um, I got way more batter than that! The batter is really tasty, though! lol!)
These cupcakes really are tasty! I made them for my sister and brother-in-law as a surprise Christmas treat. They are very light and fluffy and taste a lot like a chocolate gingerbread (all the molasses!)

Ingredients:
1 cup molasses
1 cup soy milk or other non-dairy milk
2 cups carob chips
6 tbsp. cooking oil (you can substitute 6 tbsp. applesauce for the oil - less fat)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Whisk molasses, chips, and 1/2 cup soy milk in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat until chips have melted, stirring constantly.

3. Add oil, vanilla, and cornstarch and stir until well mixed. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, sift flower and baking soda together. Add remaining milk and "chocolate" mixture and stir.

5. Spoon into cupcake liners and bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

References:
This recipe came from one of two books (sorry, I do not own the books so I'm not sure which one I copied them from). Here are the references for both:
Barnard, Tanya and Kramer, Sarah (2003). The Garden of Vegan: How It All Vegan Again! Arsenal Pulp Press: Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Barnard, Tanya and Kramer, Sarah (2001). How It All Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet. Arsenal Pulp Press: Vancouver, B.C., Canada.