Last Thursday night I baked two dozen cupcakes. And made homemade frosting for them as well. Granted, I did not frost them right then, but it was still quite a long night. I made them for a little get together with the girls from work - I figured chocolate cupcakes are always a welcome contribution to any gathering.
And these cupcakes are literally the best cupcakes ever. Whenever I want to make cupcakes, I want to make these. They are the perfect combination of chocolatey, cakey, moist, and tender. Add to that the fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting, and they instantly transport you to cupcake heaven. These cupcakes had a supporting role in our wedding, and everyone was enchanted by them.
And the best part is the disbelief on your guests' faces when you announce (after they have eaten one or two or three) that they are vegan. No dairy products at all, not even in the buttercream frosting. "Amazing!" they exclaim. "Astounding!" they cry forth. "These are healthy?" they ask, reaching for yet another. No, no they are not healthy. Vegan does not exactly mean healthy. These cupcakes still contain sugar, and some fat. I think they are better for you than regular ones, but one cannot be fooled into thinking they are health food.
The recipe for these most amazing and delicious cupcakes comes from the book "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Everyone who has ever cared about cupcakes should own this delightful little book, and should buy several copies to give out to people they care about. Not only is the book a smaller format than a regular giant cookbook (entirely appropriate for a cookbook detailing recipes for the cutest of all cakes), it's filled with pretty pictures, tips, tricks, and snappy writing.
I'm including the recipe below because I originally found it online, tried it out, and of course that prompted me to immediately long for the book. I'm hoping you'll feel the same way, and run out and buy that cute little book immediately.
Basic (Vegan) Chocolate Cupcake
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
½ cup nonhydrogenated shortening
½ cup nonhydrogenated margarine, we use Earth Balance
3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup plain soy milk or soy creamer
Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. (Holly's note: I find that adding the sugar in half cup increments works SO MUCH BETTER than trying to add all the sugar at once)
Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.
