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...
