We all know that I am not a vegan.  But that does not mean that I am not willing to try a recipe that is.  I saw this cupcake recipe, and it looked good, so why not?  I have to admit, it was one of the better cupcakes that I have made recently.  The cupcake is very tender, and the frosting was creamy and smooth.  I didn’t tell anyone that these were vegan, and they had no idea.  When I make treats, I try to get rid of them as soon as I can.  It is easier to resist temptation when the temptation is no longer in your house.  In my neighborhood, it is in very easy to get rid of a baked good.  There are about 3 times the amount of children as there are adults.  I just open my door, yell, and within seconds, whatever I have to offer is gone.  The other great thing about this is, kids are brutally honest.  They will tell you if something is not good, or needs some improvement.  Very handy when recipe testing.  I am telling you this because the kids loved them.  If the kids love them, so will you and your non-vegan friends.

I also want to say thank you to the GI staff at Shawnee Mission Medical Center.  I think that doctors and nurses have a pretty thankless job sometimes.  They know when they have done a bad job, and not necessarily when they have done a good one.  Something that they do each and every day changed my life.  I have been having some serious stomach issues for several months, and I was in a tremendous amount of pain, and it was beginning to effect my day to day life.  I know that they don’t read my blog, but I want to publicly thank a group of nurses and doctors that made what could have been a horrible experience, one that was great.  Not only do I feel a million times better (thanks for getting rid of the stones in my bile duct) but the staff were so kind and caring.  They were on-time, professional, and they put me at ease.  Anesthesia and I are not very good friends, and I was really fearful about having this procedure done.  It ended up having the best possible outcome and really felt like the staff really cared about me.  So thank you from the bottom of my heart (and my no longer in pain stomach).

The cupcake recipe comes from Martha Stewart Cupcakes Cookbook, and the frosting comes from my friend Alison.

1 1/2 cups cake flour (I used a substitute)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups water

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl.

In another bowl, mix together vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water.

Whisk the wet ingredients into dry.  Whisk until everything is combined.  This batter is really runny.

Put the batter into a muffin tin lined with paper liners.  This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

2 sticks Earth Balance butter (at room temperature)
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cherry preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-3 Tablespoons almond milk (or whichever non-dairy milk you have, I just always have almond milk on hand)

Cream together the Earth Balance and powdered sugar.  Add the cherry preserves, vanilla, and almond extracts.  Beat until light and creamy.  Add almond milk as needed to get the right consistency.

Frost and garnish with a cherry.

Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (I used a substitute)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups water2 sticks Earth Balance butter (at room temperature)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cherry preserves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2-3 Tablespoons almond milk (or whichever non-dairy milk you have, I just always have almond milk on hand)

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl.
2. In another bowl, mix together vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients into dry. Whisk until everything is combined. This batter is really runny.
4. Put the batter into a muffin tin lined with paper liners. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Cream together the Earth Balance and powdered sugar. Add the cherry preserves, vanilla, and almond extracts. Beat until light and creamy. Add almond milk as needed to get the right consistency.
7. Frost and garnish with a cherry.

by bakedbree