Tag: vegan cupcakes

Vegan

Strawberry Strawberry Short Cupcakes + Happy 2015!

by Lisa DawnLeave a Comment on Strawberry Strawberry Short Cupcakes + Happy 2015!

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While shopping at Whole Foods, my son challenged me to make a strawberry cupcake and then layer it like a strawberry shortcake with vanilla icing and fresh strawberries.

It was like our very own Cupcake Wars. I ran back to the kitchen and grabbed a package of freeze dried organic strawberries that I happen to have in the pantry and turned them into a powder like my friend Anja taught me to do for these shortbread cookies. Then I mixed it into my recipe for Luke’s Angel Cake which I halved to make a dozen cupcakes using about 1/3 of a cup of the strawberry powder.

While the cupcakes were baking, I quartered the recipe for the frosting from Luke’s Darth Vader Cake and made it vanilla by leaving out the cacao powder and food coloring.

When the cupcakes were just cooled, I cut the top off, smeared the middle with frosting and topped that section with slices of strawberries. Then I did the same on the top.

My son, the judge, gave me a thumbs up for decoration! But I got a sideways thumb for the taste. Even though the frosting was amazing, he said the cake was too crumbly. That didn’t stop him from eating his fair share but just a note on my baking. Next time, I have to figure out a new method for making pink cupcakes. But, we had a great time and it just goes to show how creativity extends to the kitchen.

Happy 2015 to you and yours! Here is to many more days of
vegan baking, cooking, and projects in the kitchen! 

Vegan

Strawberry Surprise Chocolate Cupcakes

by Lisa Dawn1 Comment on Strawberry Surprise Chocolate Cupcakes

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Yesterday, my son came home from school and decided that we should make chocolate cupcakes with strawberries. He specifically said, “Mom, you cut up the strawberries and then we will cover them with the chocolate and then make cupcakes.” He is 3 3/4 years old!

So, we made a dozen cupcakes using the vegan chocolate cake formula and added diced strawberries. They are super moist, not too sweet, and that perfectly delicious strawberry chocolate combo. (No frosting necessary!)

Note: we made these right before bed so I promised my son he could have one for breakfast. When he woke up at 6am, he called, “Mom, I want my cupcake to eat in bed!” So, I happily brought him his strawberry cupcake and he ate half. Then he said, “Mom, I want one without strawberries!” Oy!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup vegan cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cold water
1/2 to 1 cup strawberries (depends on the size, 4 to 6, and how strawberry you want these)

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with cupcake holders.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix together with a fork. Add the wet ingredients, and using a hand mixer or a big spoon, mix together until really well blended.

Dice up the strawberries and fold into the batter. Using a ladle, fill up the cupcake holders almost to the top. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool and have one for breakfast!

Vegan

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Green St. Patrick’s Day Frosting

by Lisa DawnLeave a Comment on Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Green St. Patrick’s Day Frosting

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I love making holiday food projects. I know it’s a little corny but it’s fun thing to do anyway. Here is a link to my past creations for St. Patrick’s Day: Irish Soda Bread and Colcannon. This year, it’s mini cupcakes with green frosting. They are so cute and the frosting has a healthy secret ingredient: spinach!

Luke’s Angel Cake *
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
1/2 cup vegan brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

* To make 24 mini cupcakes, I halved the original recipe. I also changed up the mix of the flour and sugar ingredients. Click on the link for the original recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a mini cupcake tin with cupcake holders.

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla powder. Mix well with a fork. Add the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Using a small ladle, fill the cupcake holders. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

Green Frosting (makes enough for 24 mini cupcakes) **
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup Earth Balance, softened
2 tablespoons vegan milk (I used oat)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
Pinch salt

** I used my Vitamix to make this frosting. I am not sure if a regular hand mixer or blender would pulverize the spinach.

Place all ingredients into the Vitamix and blend until frosting is green and smooth.

Use a frosting spatula and frost each cupcake with a small amount of frosting. We love to eat these immediately but you can also let them stand so the frosting has time to set. Either way, enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Vegan

Pink Love Cupcakes

by Lisa Dawn2 Comments on Pink Love Cupcakes

This year we decided to make heart shaped cupcakes, using my recipe for Luke’s Angel Cake. I bought heart shaped mini cupcake molds. Fill them up half way with batter in order to get the perfect heart (and 6 more cupcakes.)

To make the frosting, I use the water from cooking beets. Yes, beets! They are probably my most favorite vegetable in the world anyway so cooking them for their water meant beet salad for lunch!

Cupcakes (makes 18 heart shaped cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups flour (all purpose or whole wheat)
1 cup vegan cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 375.

Sift the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water and oil.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix thoroughly. When combined, add the lemon juice, stir in quickly and ladle into cupcake pan.

Bake for 25 minutes or until cupcakes test done. Let cool.

Pink Buttercream Frosting (makes enough for a dozen cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Earth Balance, softened
2 tablespoons vegan milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/2 teaspoon beet water *
Pinch salt

* Peel and chop up one big beet. Boil it until it is soft. Drain and reserve the liquid for the frosting. Use the beet in a salad or juice. Too much beet water will cause the frosting to separate, as I have learned through experimenting. This is just enough and the hint of pink makes these cupcakes special.

Sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the softened Earth Balance, milk, vanilla powder, food coloring and pinch of salt. Blend using a hand mixer until there are no more lumps and the frosting is creamy.

Use a frosting spatula to frost the cupcakes. Enjoy!

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