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!