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.