Maple Brown Sugar Cupcakes

Whew! It's been a while.  Sometimes life takes over and cupcakes don't get baked or blogged about.  Well it has been a few months since I blogged but definitely not a few months since I've baked.  It's good to be back and definitely delicious.

This cupcake is a maple cupcake topped with vanilla brown sugar buttercream.  As always the cupcakes are vegan and made with love and the undeniable need for a cupcake.  Experimenting with cupcakes is one of the greatest things.  If this is what you did in Chemistry in high school, experiment and eat your results, I would have been a full blown chemist or at least passed every test, well the eating part at least.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, line your cupcake tins and get all of your ingredients together.  The cupcake recipe yields about 21 cupcakes, not quite 2 dozen.

Maple Cupcake

2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup almond milk (feel free to use soy if prefer)
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 + 1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons maple extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift flour, baking powder and soda together in a separate bowl.  Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together and let sit for a few minutes.  Mix brown sugar, regular sugar and oil in a bowl.  Mix the oil and sugars together for a few minutes and then add the extracts.  Mix for another few minutes until the sugar is completely saturated with all of the oil and extracts.  Add the almond milk mixture and mix for about a minute until foamy.  Add the flour mixture a little bit a time until completely mixed and you have your batter.

Fill the cupcake tins about 3/4 full with batter and stick in the oven.

Can I get 15 minutes on the clock Phil?

After 15 minutes check the cupcakes with a toothpick and the pick should come out clean.  Depending on your oven it may take a little less or a little more.

Vanilla Brown Sugar Buttercream

3/4 cup non-dairy butter (earth balance was used in my recipe)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together butter and shortening until nice and creamy.  Add the brown sugar and mix for a few minutes until the brown sugar is thoroughly mixed.  Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the frosting is light and fluffy.  Add the extract at the end.  If the frosting needs it you can always add a little bit more sugar.

Put the frosting in a frosting bag with a tip of your choice and frost the heck out of those cupcakes.  Make sure and let your cupcakes cool down all of the way before you frost them.

After frosting the cupcakes you can top with the nut of your choice.  I used a peanut, walnut mixture and it worked well.

This is one army of cupcakes that you won't be afraid to do battle with.

It has a maple cake flavor with a sweet brown sugary buttercream that reminds you of the frosting on a maple bar.  This is the perfect cupcake to kick back and watch the leaves fall from the trees during those chilly fall months.  So grab a cup of coffee, a spot of tea or whatever beverage of choice you enjoy on a chilly fall day is and sit back and enjoy a cupcake or two.

Tip of the day: refrigerating the cupcakes after frosting helps the frosting to set nicely.

So for now, sugar kisses and cupcake dreams.  Bake on...

Super Lemon Cherry Topped Cupcake

Well it's good to be back.  There was a two week baking hiatus due to traveling for a spectacular wedding.  Congratulations to my sister-in-law Amy and new brother-in- law Steevo on their recent nuptials.  The wedding was incredible and the fun was non-stop.  Now that I'm back so are the cupcakes.

This week's cupcake is a lemon cupcake with a bit of cherry frosting.  The lemon cupcake is oh so lemony and the frosting has a sweet hint of cherry that works well with the tartness of the lemon.  I thought cherry would go well with lemon and would be a real summertime treat.  It is almost summer and the cupcake works well for the season.

This recipe is going to yield 24 cupcakes.  Make sure and preheat that oven.  During these summer months open the windows and get a nice breeze going through your kitchen so you don't have to feel the heat, although this cupcake will cool you down with it's sweet lemon goodness.

Line your cupcake pans and let the fun begin.

Lemon Cupcake

3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of earth balance or any dairy free butter
2 cups of sugar (raw cane sugar works well)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
1/4 cup oil (sunflower was used in this recipe)
1 cup of almond milk (or soy)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

mix together milk and vinegar and set aside.  Sift together all dry ingredients and set aside.  Mix together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add oil a little at a time until fully mixed and add extracts.  Mix in the lemon zest and mix for about a minute.  Start adding the dry mixture a little at a time changing between lemon juice and almond milk until all wet and dry ingredients are mixed thoroughly.  Spoon into cupcake tin about 3/4 full and bake for approx. 15 or until toothpick is dry.

Lil Bit of Cherry Frosting

3 cups of confectioner sugar
1/3 cup of marachino cherry juice
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup earth balance butter (or any vegan butter)
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

mix together butter and shortening until smooth and creamy.  Start adding sugar about 1/2 cup at a time with a little cherry juice until all sugar and cherry juice have been used.  Add extract and beat until nice and fluffy and light.

Top the cupcakes with your delicious frosting and as a decorative addition I added sugar balls.  It adds a nice addition to the cupcake without taking away anything from the flavor.  I was going to add fresh chopped cherries but they weren't very ripe and didn't look that great.  Oh well, there is always next time, especially for these little delicious cupcakes.

Tip of the day: don't frost your cupcakes while they are still warm.  It's a little mistake that can cause all of your frosting to melt away.

So until next time, enjoy the lemony treat for summer and keep on baking in the free world.  Oh and don't forget "The Lemon Song" to go with your cupcakes.

As always, sugar kisses and cupcake dreams. 

Krystle's Farewell Coconut Chocolate Cupcakes

This week's cupcake is a coconut cupcake topped with chocolate buttercream frosting and a little bit of slightly toasted coconut.  The cupcake is dedicated to my friend Krystle who is going to be leaving our mutual place of employment this week and onto better things.  We wish her all the best of luck in her endeavors and therefore dedicated this cupcake to her. 

Let's talk coconut cupcake.  I find that there really is no such thing as too much coconut.  This cupcake has coconut milk, coconut powder, coconut extract and fresh shaved coconut cooked in it as well as on top of it.  The funny thing is, it's not really that overwhelming of a coconut flavor.  It's a nice hint of coconut in the cupcake and the little coconut shavings on top adds a nice little addition to the already coconut flavor.  This cupcake was slightly deceiving in the cooking time.  You shouldn't cook it for more than 15 minutes.  I promise.  I went a minute longer and realized that a few more minutes and it would have been way too long so it was taken out at 16 minutes.  Don't get me wrong the cupcake is delicious and still soft and has a great consistency, but as a warning you have to watch this sneaky cupcake.

Chocolate and coconut.  It's good and simple, just like that.

This recipe made exactly 24 cupcakes.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Always remember to preheat the oven.

Coconut Cupcake

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup of coconut powder (found this at a specialty food store)
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1 can of coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/3 cup oil (sunflower)
1 1/2 cup of sugar

Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) including coconut powder, mix together oil and sugar in a bowl, add dry ingredients and coconut milk alternating back and forth until everything is mixed together, add extract and shredded coconut and mix for approximately 3 minutes

Bake for 15 minutes.  Check the cupcakes and if there is still cake on the toothpick give it another minute or so.

Chocolate Frosting with a hint of coconut

1/4 cup of vegetable shortening
1/4 cup of butter (earth balance)
2 3/4 cup of confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup of almond milk (or soy whatever your preference)
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup of cocoa powder

mix together butter and shortening and add the chocolate and sugar a little bit at a time incorporating the almond (or soy) milk a little at a time.  Add the extracts at the end and beat it, just beat it.

Toast the shredded coconut at 350 in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Top the coconut cupcakes with frosting and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.  BAM! Delicious cupcake for you.

So to Krystle, we raise our cupcakes to you, wishing you all the luck in the world.  You will do awesome because you're awesome.

Cheers! We will miss you.  By we I mean me and the cupcakes.

Tip of the week: always follow your dreams.

So leaving you this week with sugar kisses and coconut cupcake dreams.

Until next week bake on.

Everyone Loves a Hostess

This is the multi-cupcake blog week.  It's been three weeks since the blog has been updated.  First, let's start by saying Happy belated Easter.  There was an Easter cupcake that was deserving of it's own blog but unfortunately didn't get it, so this little treat will be piggybacking on this weeks cupcake, which is a vegan hostess style cupcake.  You know the kind with the sweet cream in the middle and the chocolate on top with the little swirls.  Second, there was a baking disaster last week that caused the blog to be put on hold yet again.  Here is a tip: don't overcook banana cupcakes.  Here is another tip: banana is hard to use for cupcakes so make sure the bananas are very ripe and very soft and don't overdo it on the bananas.  BUT...now that the disaster is over and forgotten (queue Aerosmith "Back In the Saddle") the blog is back.

So first the Easter basket cupcake.  This cupcake is the similar to the vegan french vanilla cupcake from a previous blog with a few changes:

Vanilla Cupcake

3 cups of soy milk
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
4 1/2 cups of flour
1 3/4 tablespoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cups of sugar (we used raw cane)
1 cup of oil (we prefer sunflower)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons almond extract

Heat oven to 350.  Whisk the apple cider vinegar and soy together in a bowl and set and set aside, sift all the dry ingredients together, whisk the soymilk, sugar, oil, vanilla and almond together until foamy and then add the dry ingredients half at a time until combined

bake about 15-18 minutes or until your toothpick isn't covered in raw batter.

Almond Butter Cream

1/2 cup earth balance (or any vegan butter)

1/2 cup vegetable shortening 

3 1/2 cups of confectioner sugar

1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of almond extract (depending on how almond of a flavor you want)

1 tablespoon almond milk

cream together butter and shortening.  Add sugar a little at a time with a little soy.  Add almond last and whip until creamy and fluffy.

Take some shredded coconut and toss it in green food coloring and toast it in the oven at 350 for about 10 - 15 minutes.  Top with jelly beans or robins eggs (this will make it not vegan though b/c they are made with milk chocolate).  Voila! Edible Easter baskets. 

Moving on to this week's cupcake.  It's a Hostess - for this cupcake's sake lets call it a Mostess (get it me, I'm Mo).  Yep, it kind of loses the appeal if it needs to be explained.  Oh well, it's still a great cupcake. 

Chocolate Cupcake

2 cups almond milk

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup of cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar (raw sugar works well)

2/3 cup of oil (sunflower is real nice)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond

You will get about 24 cupcakes out of this recipe.   Mix the vinegar and milk together and set aside for a few minutes.  Mix together dry ingredients and set aside - sifting is good.  Mix together oil, sugar and extracts.  Add almond milk mixture and beat for about 2 minutes.  Add the dry ingredients a little a time until well mixed and there aren't any lumps.  

Bake for about 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out squeaky clean.

Creamy Center and Topping

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/3 cup vegan butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon almond milk (or soy)

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

beat the butter and shortening together until creamy.  Add sugar a little at a time.  Add milk and vanilla when almost done with sugar.  Whip for about 5 minutes. 

Chocolate Topping (Ganache)

1/4 almond milk

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (make sure they don't have milk in them)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

boil milk and vanilla and dump over chocolate chips stirring until melted. 

Dip the cupcakes in the chocolate and let sit for about 10-15 minutes.  Use frosting bag to insert the creamy center and another bag with a smaller tip to create the swirl. 

Oh yes.  These are a delightful little treat.  They will take you back. 

Make sure you don't have air pockets in the frosting bag when you are doing the little swirl or else you will get some of them that look a little funky.  Well, since the only place that perfection exists is in the dictionary no matter how the little swirls turn out these cupcakes are delicious. 

Coming to a close it's good to be back.

Tip of the day:  Actually tip of the last two weeks - don't walk away from your cupcakes for too long.  Always pay attention even if you set a timer b/c you may set it for 25 minutes instead of 15 minutes and then have small banana rocks.  Just saying.

Until next time, sugar kisses and cupcakes dreams.

I'M BACK IN SADDLE AGAIN! I'MMMMMMM BACKKKKKKKKKK! 

Big Waves of Mango Coconut

This week's cupcake is a vegan mango cupcake with bits of candied mango inside topped with a coconut buttercream frosting and rolled in toasted coconut.  This cupcake has big flavors like being on the inside of a big wave in Hawaii.  It helped that "The Bruce Movie" was on in the background so there was a lot of big wave surfing that added some inspiration to the cupcake.

Mango! The mango isn't a real sweet flavor but a nice mild sweet in the cupcake and the candied mango pieces not only helped to enhance the mango flavor but also added a nice texture to the cupcake.  The buttery consistency of the frosting topped with the toasted coconut really brings it all together.  Imagine standing up a surf board, coming through through the barrel of a wave and being shot out of the other side into the blue water and sunshine.  We've never personally experienced surfing a big wave but from watching this in a movie and then eating this cupcake they seem to go hand in hand.

The recipe yields about 24 large cupcakes and about a dozen babies.  Preheat the oven to 350 and give those cupcake trays a lining.

Mango Cupcake


3 cups of flour (this week no self rising flour)
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup of sugar (still using sugar in the raw)
2 cups of mango (feel free to use more if you like too much mango isn't a bad thing)
3 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and set aside.  Mix sugar, oil and almond milk for about a minute.  Add in dry ingredients a little at a time and add mango a little at a time switching off until everything is well blended.  Add vanilla and coconut extract and mix for another minute.  Scoop into cupcake tins about 3/4 full.

Coconut Buttercream Frosting


1 cup of butter (earth balance)
1 cup of vegetable shortening
3 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp of coconut extract
dash of vanilla

Cream together butter and shortening.  Add sugar in 1/2 cups until well mixed and fluffy.  Add extract and mix for another minute.

For the toasted coconut we used shaved coconut.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread thin layer of coconut on a baking sheet covered in foil.  Bake for about 10 minutes checking periodically for the coconut to brown.

Once the cupcake has cooled you can frost it and roll it in the toasted coconut.  You can be generous with the toasted coconut because it adds a really good flavor.  Just don't eat in all in the process of baking the cupcakes.

This cupcake will make you want to be in the tropics watching or if you are so inclined participating in some surfing activities.  What would make this cupcake better? Nothing, it is very delicious and has a nice balance of flavors.

Tip of the day: gas is getting expensive, walk more.

Until next time surfs up and get your bake on.  As always, sugar kisses and cupcake dreams.

The Pistachio Cupcake Effect

The Pistachio Effect

Refers to all phenomena where foods tastes better because they require some type of work to actually consume. Examples include, but are not limited to, bone in chicken wings, crab legs, sunflower seeds, clam, lobster, assorted fruits i.e. kiwifruit and pomegranates. The name comes from the pistachio nut because it is traditionally sold in its shell and requires a nutcracker or hand wrenching to release the nut. This effect has no connection to the 2009 short film with the same name.

The above notation is taken from Wikipedia and it seems appropriate to add for this week's cupcake since it was a labor intensive process opening each pistachio by hand and hopefully it makes the cupcake taste better.  

The cupcake is a pistachio cupcake topped with a buttercream icing.  The top of the cupcake browned a little and has a little bit of a crunch to it almost cookie-like.  The pistachio is not overwhelming and not a very strong taste overall.  It is a difficult flavor to have come through strong and the first time we worked with it.  Overall the cupcake turned out delicious but again the pistachio flavor isn't very strong.  This cupcake did take a while to make and the labor of love that went into makes it all the more delicious when eating.  

Yields appox. 24 regular cupcakes and 12 minis.  Preheat the oven to 350 and line your cupcake tins.

Vegan Pistachio Cupcake

3 cups of flour (still using self rising)

2 packages of pistachio flavored jello pudding (yes it's vegan and who knew)

1 cup of shelled pistachios (this is the labor of love - you can buy shelled pistachios for a lot more money by why take away the fun of shelling them)

1 cup of butter (earth balance)

1 1/2 cup of sugar 

1/3 cup of oil (canola)

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup of soy milk

2 tsp of apple cider vinegar

Shell the pistachios and finely chop using a food processor.  Mix together the soy and vinegar and set aside.  Sift together the flour and the pudding mix and also set aside.  Mix together the butter and sugar and add the oil a little bit at a time until well mixed and then add the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time while adding the milk mixture in between until it is all mixed together.  

The batter is going to seem really thick but trust when we say it's gonna be good.  Fill your muffin tins about 1/2 to 3/4 full and bake for approx. 15-18 minutes or until your toothpick comes out batter free.

Buttercream Frostin'

1 cup of butter (earth balance)

1 cup of vegetable shortening

3 tsp of vanilla

4 1/2 cups of confectioner sugar

1 tablespoon of soy milk

Mix together butter and sugar add in confectioner sugar a little at a time.  At the end mix in the soy milk and vanilla. 

Top your cupcakes with a few crushed pistachios.  You will need the pistachios, a baggie and something to smash them with.

It's a subtle pistachio flavor with a sweet creamy icing.  It's yum yum yum delicious.  

We were going to also top this cupcake with fresh raspberries but unfortunately the store did not have them.  Just a suggestion though as it seems that this cupcake would be good with a bit of raspberry on top. 

Tip of the day:  say hi to a stranger at least once a day.

Until next time sugar kisses and cupcake dreams. 

Draped in Red Velvet

This week's cupcake is a vegan red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing. Even though all of our cupcakes are vegan we like to just throw it in there every once in a while, maybe for the newcomer.  It's a tasty little number.  It just kind of throws it's jazz hands at you and sashays into your stomach.  The cake is nice and the icing is sweet and creamy.

The recipe that was used yielded about 18 regular cupcakes and 12 minis.  The minis are fun because it's like two cupcakes got together and had a baby.  Little baby red velvet.  A one bite cupcake baby.  We aren't saying you should eat babies but cupcake babies are okay.

Cupcake


2 cups of almond milk (you can also use soy)
2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
2 cups of sugar (still using sugar in the raw)
2 1/2 cups of flour (still on the self rising kick)
1/4 cup of cocoa
2/3 cup of oil
1 tablespoon of red food coloring
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

**note: if not using self rising flour you will need about 1 teaspoon of baking soda, salt and baking powder

Preheat your oven to 350 and line your cupcake tins.

Mix your milk and vinegar together and set aside.  Sift your flour and cocoa together and set aside.  Mix together sugar, oil, vanilla, almond, food coloring and milk until frothy.  Mix in the flour mixture a little bit at a time until completely mixed and not lumpy.

Bake for about 16-18 minutes.  Check with a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.

Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting


3/4 cup of butter (earth balance)
3/4 cup of vegan cream cheese
4 cups of confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla

Mix your butter and cream cheese together until creamy.  Mix in sugar about a cup at a time.  On the last cup of sugar add your vanilla, mix together until you have a nice creamy consistency.

Let the cupcakes cool prior to frosting, otherwise you will have a cupcake that looks like it shook all of the icing off of it's top and down onto the sides.

It's a good old favorite to have on hand and come on who the heck doesn't enjoy some red velvet?

Tip of the day: don't fill your mini cupcakes more than half full.  The liners will drop into the cups once they are about half full.

Until next time sugar kisses and cupcake dreams.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Peanut butter jelly time, peanut butter jelly time, peanut butter - jelly...and you know the rest.  Well this little number is a peanut butter cupcake with a berry frosting making this a sweet little number known as the PB&J cupcake.  This cupcake also got a little friend this week a chocolate covered peanut butter cupcake.

Since it's my (Mo) birthday, it just seemed right to mix it up a little and bake up a few little treats.  What is the best part of baking cupcakes? (this isn't a joke by the way) Yep, you guessed it, eating the cupcakes.  What is the best part of baking cupcakes on your birthday? (also, not a joke) Eating as many cupcakes as you want and using the "it's my birthday though" excuse.  You can literally eat as many cupcakes as you want on your birthday.  I researched it, it's a real law and you can sue someone if they tell you otherwise or judge you at all in any way.

This cupcake really does it as a PB&J.  The frosting was a little tricky but it all came together with a suggestion from my (Mo) wonderful husband.  He suggested for the berry flavor that I try a very triple berry syrup.  I scoffed at him at first and said a syrup? How ridiculous.  Okay that is a little embellished but I didn't think it was a great idea, but it turned out to be just what the frosting needed.  So sit back, turn on some cartoons and prepare to eat your PB&J.

Peanut Butter Cupcake


2 1/4 self rising flour
1 1/2 cup almond milk (whoa a new twist from soy)
1 cup of crunchy peanut butter
2/3 cup of canola oil
1 1/3 cup of sugar (sugar in the raw is awesome)
1 tablespoon of honey
3 teaspoons of vanilla
1 tablespoon of flax seed meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

**if you don't use self rising flour then you will need 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 2 teaspoons of baking powder

Preheat the over 350 degrees.  Line your cupcake pans (this batter yields about 24 cupcakes).  Combine your milk and vinegar and set aside for a few minutes.   Mix together oil, sugar, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, flax seed meal.  Once mixed mix in the almond milk and mix with other ingredients.  Once combined mix in the flour a little bit at a time until batter is completely mixed together.  Fill your muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for approx. 16-18 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean.  Let your little gems cools before frosting them.

Jelly errr Berry Frosting


1/4 cup of vegetable shortening
1/4 cup of butter (earth balance)
1 1/2 cups of confectioner sugar
1/4 cup of berry syrup

Cream together butter and shortening, add sugar a little at a time until mixed and add in the syrup a little at a time until fully mixed and fluffy.

Chocolate Frosting


1/4 cup of shortening
1/4 cup of butter (earth balance)
1/2 cup of cocoa
1 1/2 cups of confectioner sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of almond milk

Cream together the butter and sugar, mix in the chocolate and then sugar until all combined adding some almond milk in between.

Frost, top with crushed peanuts and eat.

The cupcakes are delicious and really came out like a nice anytime treat.  This cupcake could replace lunch or breakfast or dinner or who knows maybe all three.  It is really an amazing treat.

Well, it's the end of my birthday and time is winding down.  I've eaten a ridiculous amount of cupcakes and this is what it looks like coming at your mouth.

It truly is delicious.

Tip of the day: when the going gets tough, eat another cupcake.  You'll forget where you were going in the first place.

Until next time sugar kisses and cupcakes dreams.

Key Lime to Your Heart

This cupcake will romance it's way through your mouth straight to your heart.  You'll really fall in love with this little tangy treat.  This week's cupcake is a Key Lime cupcake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkled generously with graham crackers.  To make this little limey cake beautiful we added a little piece of the lime for decoration not so much for eating.

The cake itself isn't overly lime-tasting and the cream cheese frosting on top adds the sweet that you need for the tart.  It's like the yin to the cupcake's yang.  A little crunch on top and your whisked away to a little bistro table eating your key lime pie dessert, in the Florida Keys of course.  This cupcake is a little smaller than usual because it is a little richer and needed to be smaller so nobody gets hurt during consumption.

We used fresh key lime juice and fresh key lime zest in the cupcake which made it not rise as much and the consistency is a little more dense than usual but the flavor is delicious.  We listened to a Benny Goodman record while baking these cupcakes so they have a little sass in them.

The recipe below will yield about 36 cupcakes so if you want less cut the recipe in half.  Preheat the oven for 350 and cook for 12-15 minutes or until your toothpick comes out squeaky clean.

Vegan Key Lime Cupcake


4 cups of flour (we used self rising flour again)
1 1/2 cup of butter (we used earth balance)
2 1/2 cups of sugar (we used sugar in the raw - yum yum)
2 1/2 tablespoons of key lime zest
1/2 cup of oil
1/2 cup of key lime juice (freshly pressed - thank you Tina B. for the best citrus press ever!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup soy milk
1 1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar

**if you don't use self rising flour you will need 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

mix soy milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside for a few minutes, sift the flour and set aside, beat together sugar, oil, butter, key lime juice, zest for about 2-3 minutes, mix flour and soy milk a little at a time until fully mixed together and you have a good consistency

Cream Cheese Frosting


1/2 cup of cream cheese (vegan of course)
1/2 cup of butter (earth balance)
4 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

mix together butter and cream cheese until creamy, add the sugar about 1 cup at a time until mixed add vanilla at the end

Crush some graham crackers to sprinkle on top.  Don't crush them into dust, but large enough to give the eater a bit of crunch with each bite.

Use some of the left over limes to cut for decoration.  It's just so cute.  See...

Hopefully you will have as much fun as we did making them and even more fun eating them.  We tried one and then another and then another and another just to make sure they were good.  They are, we've confirmed.  So kick back, put your feet up, have some cupcakes and relax.

Tip of the day: if your towels have plastic fibers in them do not leave on top of the hot oven.

So until next time sugar kisses and cupcake dreams.

Gimme S'mores

A weem-a-way a weem-a-way a weem-a-way - in the kitchen the mighty kitchen the cupcakes bake tonight...

We could go on but we will spare you and tell you about the s'mores cupcakes that came out of the campfire, errr oven tonight.  Here is a delicious treat that takes you back to your days of camping around the fire with your parents and if you've never gone camping then making some over your stove as a kid or maybe even just using a lighter a with a chocolate bar and a bag of marshmallows.  We aren't judging how it happened but everyone has had a s'mores experience.

This cupcake is a little taste of heaven, like a light fluffy chocolate graham cracker heaven.  The cupcake itself is a chocolate cupcake, the frosting is a vanilla buttercream with a few melted marshmallows mixed in (vegan of course), dusted in crushed graham crackers, drizzled in fresh chocolate and topped with a piece of marshmallow and a chunk of graham cracker.  If your mouth isn't watering yet you clearly skipped the last descriptive sentence.  Maybe you should look at it from the top view.

Cupcake


2 cups of soy milk
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups of sugar (we tried sugar in the raw)
2/3 cup of oil (we used sunflower)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of almond extract
2 cups of flour (we used self rising flour this time)
2/3 cup of cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven 350 degrees.  Mix soy milk and vinegar together in a bowl and put aside.  Sift the flour, cinnamon, cocoa and salt together and put aside.  Mix the sugar, oil, extracts to the soy milk and beat until you it foams.  Mix in the dry ingredients in about a cup at a time until completely mixed.  Bake for about 18 minutes.

Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting


1/2 cup of vegan butter
1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
1/4 cup of soy milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup of marshmallows (we melted them down first with about a tablespoon of soy milk and let cool for a few minutes)

mix the butter and shortening until creamy add the marshmallow and mix for about 1 minute, add sugar mix for a few minutes and finally add the vanilla and soy milk.

Graham cracker dust topper


1 hammer
1 zip-lock bag
1 hand towel
6 graham crackers

put graham crackers in bag, put bag under towel, beat into oblivion.

Chocolate Topping


2/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup of soy milk

simmer soy milk and dump over chocolate and mix until all the soy milk is incorporated.

To build this cupcake you need an degree in architecture.  Frost the cupcake, roll in the graham cracker dust, put marshmallow chunk on top, drizzle chocolate and finally place graham cracker beautifully on top.

It really did turn out deliciously fantastic.  It's going to make you want another one and make you want to go camping.  We took the music selection back to the old school and listed to "A Tribe Called Quest".  Good baking music and good camping music.  So pitch a tent and enjoy these cupcakes.

Tip of the day: don't do an arm workout and then wash ceramic measuring utensils.

Until next time sugar kisses and cupcake dreams.

Frenchy You Makin' Me Coconuts

This week's cupcake is a french vanilla cupcake with coconut buttercream frosting with coconut flakes on top.  It is flavorful and tropical and just plain goes well together.  Coconut makes everything seem a little like you're on an island and this cupcake will put you right there like you're sipping a vanilla cocktail straight out of a coconut on a beach with your feet in the sand. Just like that.  No frills, just tropics or the French Riviera since the french vanilla made it's way into this cupcake.  Who knows maybe eat this cupcake in a speedo or topless.

The cupcakes recipe yielded about 30 cupcakes.  The frosting yielded about 30 so it was perfect.  Remember to preheat your oven to 350 degrees and that is important if you want the cupcakes to bake and I'm not implying that we may have forgotten at first but it happens sometimes so don't forget.

Frenchy You Makin' Me Coconuts (just came up with that)

3 cups of soy milk
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
4 1/2 cups of flour
1 3/4 tablespoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cups of sugar (we used raw cane)
1 cup of oil (we prefer sunflower)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons hazelnut (this is the fancy french part)

whisk the lemon and soy together in a bowl and set and set aside, sift all the dry ingredients together, whisk the soymilk, oil, vanilla and hazelnut together until foamy and then add the dry ingredients half at a time until combined

bake about 15-18 minutes or until your toothpick isn't covered in raw batter.


Frrrrrrrrosting 

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup of vegan margarine
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup of coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons of coconut extract

whip the shortening and margarine together for about 2 minutes, add extract, coconut milk and sugar 1/2 cup at a time and mix well

After the cupcakes cooled and were able to be frosted they were rolled in coconut flakes.  Those funny little cupcakes were making snow angels in the coconut flakes, it was cute.

These are versatile cupcakes.  They are good for bake sales, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, anniversaries, your favorite band is coming to town or to celebrate an upcoming vacation or the return from one.

You are gonna go coconuts!

The music of Steely Dan helped to make these cupcakes a little jazzy.  The cupcakes kept requesting really steel drums but we don't have access to a steel drum record at such short notice.

Tip of the day: Life isn't always sweet so eat more cupcakes.

Until next time sugar kisses and cupcakes dreams.

Chocolate Orange Ginger Happiness

The best part about this cupcake is eating this cupcake.  This cupcake has depth of flavors and a lot of dimension.  The orange really comes through with the chocolate but the ginger is more subtle and you would think it would be really gingery with 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger but it really sits nicely in the corner.  Nobody put baby in a corner but ginger is happy to be there in this cupcake.  This is one of those cupcakes that can impress.  It was impressive just eating it and realizing that we made it.

The recipe makes 12-48 cupcakes depending on the size of the tin and the frosting is enough with a little to put in a bowl and eat with a spoon like a fine bisque.   We made 24 cupcakes in a medium size normal cupcake tin, not 12 cupcakes in a tin large enough to feed Bigfoot and his family only. This is a share all recipe that everyone needs to make.  It's not hard and really makes you feel like you should own your own bakery.

Vegan Chocolate Ginger Orange Cupcakes


3 cups of flour (unbleached if you have it - if your like us then bleached is fine)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 cups natural cane sugar
1 cup of water
2/3 cup of cold fresh brewed coffee (brew and refrigerate worked for us)
1 cup of oil (we used sunflower)
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of grated 'orange peel (we used the zest from two whole medium oranges)
1 tablespoon of orange juice (if you have a citrus press you can use the oranges as mentioned above)
4 tablespoons of cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375.  Mix your dry ingredients and whisk to combine.  Add water, oil, vanilla, orange juice, ginger and orange peel.  Mix to combine.  Add vinegar and stir quickly to combine.  It will be foamy and lighter in color.  DON'T FREAK OUT, like we did.  Once the mix turns back to a darker color then you know everything is now okay and you have incorporated all of the vinegar and not ruined these mix.  Pour into your cupcakes tins and bake for 15 minutes.  Let them cool prior to icing.

Fra-Fra-Frosting


1 cup of vegan margarine
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of orange juice (feel free to use the juice from your oranges from above)
4 tablespoons of soymilk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
a pinch of salt

Blend the margarine in a mixer until creamy, add in powdered sugar a little at a time until combined (we did it in three additions).  Add remaining ingredients until creamy and amazing.

Guess what? You're ready to put the frosting on that cupcake.

This is a cupcake for all occasions.  We found that a little orange zest on top added a little zing of flavor.  To give your cupcakes the spiked out party til the break of dawn look just use a knife to spread the frosting and then in a snap of the wrist motion tap the frosting and pull back...ummm yeah just like that.

Listen to some awesome music, Mariachi El Bronx was this evening's background, and you'll find that you won't need a Yankee candle when you are baking these cupcakes.  Your house will smell amazing.

Tip of the day: when someone yells duck, always do it.

Until next time sugar kisses and cupcake dreams.

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Pie: Like Your Mama Makes

Cupcake numero dos.  We took a week off from baking in observance of the miserable loss of the Steelers in the Super Bowl.  We were mourning and didn't feel much like baking and figured we didn't want the saltiness from our tears to interfere with the sweetness of our cupcakes.  Well we are over that loss and back in the kitchen. 

Tonight we made a chocolate cherry brownie pie cupcake.  We used the vegan (basic) chocolate cupcake recipe and added our own touches to make the cupcake taste a little more like cherries.  This was all done with adding a little bit of extra almond extract.  A good tip if you want to have your chocolate cupcakes taste a little like cherries.  We also added melted vegan butter in lieu oil and the cake itself turned out a little bit more like a brownie, which caused a pleasant surprise and added the brownie texture to our cupcake.  Neither one of us are upset.

Megan had another filling explosion and but nothing that we couldn't salvage.  I stood back because I could hear the pressure building and knew it was going to happen but couldn't stop it.  No major disasters other than that.

The cupcake filling was cherry pie filling - a bag of frozen cherries, 3 tsp. of sugar and the juice of one lemon.  It simmered for an hour to reduce and made a nice amount of filling for about 12 cupcakes.

The frosting was a cream cheese frosting with a hint of fresh cherry and drizzled with a chocolate ganache. 

The frosting was 1/2 cup of vegan butter, 1/2 cup of cream cheese, 4 cups of powdered sugar, a splash of almond extract - literally a splash because a little goes a long way - and about 2 tblsp. of cherry reduction taken from the pie filling as mentioned earlier.

The ganache was made by boiling 3/4 cup of coconut creamer and pouring this over a half pound of semi-sweet chocolate chips and stirring until melted.  Wow is this good and could be used for so many different things including eating like soup.

We ate these cupcakes with a fork.  They are delicious and m***t (I refuse to say that word and it rhymes with hoist) but they really are that word.  The brownie texture is a-ma-zing! A simple substitution of butter for oil (vegan butter) really made a lot of difference texturally.

They were a success! Yum!

Tip of the day: always listen to your mother, she's right.

Until next time sugar kisses and cupcakes dreams.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake: Drink it in

On one dark and stormy night in San Diego...oh wait, it was all sunshine and cupcakes.  Two girls, Megan and Mo got together and began what will be an epic cupcake experiment.

Here we are on our maiden cupcake experiment, voyage number one.  We got together as friends and found that we both have a love of creating, baking and tasting cupcakes.  We want to share it with you now so every time we bake, you win.  Tonight we decided to try a strawberry lemonade cupcake.  This consists of a vanilla cupcake with a hint of lemon, lemon gelee filling and fresh strawberry icing, which turned out more like a gelee as well.  We will start to share recipes with you when we perfect them as for now we will share the photos and you will have to trust us when we say they are ridiculously delicious.

The cupcakes themselves came out a little overdone and after an icing explosion and a few test cupcakes we made notes on how to make it better.  We are learning how to use tools besides knives and spoons to make our cupcakes amazing.  Megan learned that when there is something that is clogging the tip of the icing dispenser to clean it out before you just keep squeezing.  (that's what she said). 

So for now we leave you with cupcakes dreams and sugar kisses.

Tip of the day: Don't put metal in the microwave.

For now, bake on.