VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Valentines day is kinda dorky but it gives me a reason to bake something good. This valentines day I decided to bake some cupcakes. AS PER USUAL. Because I am a cupcake fanatic if you haven't already noticed. This was my first attempt at buttercream frosting and I was soooo pleased! I need to get a good icing bag to make my cupcakes look professional now. This icing is the perfect recipe for decorative cakes or any baked good. I added some beet powder to make the icing pink for valentines. Its a great natural way to color your food and its good for you! Vegan food coloring is seriously hard to find in Victoria. The double chocolate cupcakes were an extra sweet treat for my boyfriend for Valentines. Although I think its kind of silly for everyone to celebrate their relationships on one day, I loveeee hearts, flowers, the colors pink and red because they are cute everyday of the year... Just like my boyfriend hehe. Anyways, these are some seriously sweet cupcakes so if you have a sweet tooth or you're a lover of chocolate you will loveee this. It has alot more sugar than my baked goods usually do but whatever! Its valentines day, celebrate with some sugar. 

VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Cupcake recipe
1 1/2 cups unbleached organic white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/3 cup of Enjoy Life vegan mega chocolate chunks (link attached)
1/4 cup earth balance, melted
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup everland organic coconut milk  (link attached)       


Buttercream frosting recipe
1/2 cup earth balance, melted
2 cups wholesomesweeteners organic powdered sugar (link attached)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons beet powder

Steps

Makes 12

Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large bowl begin by adding all your dry ingredients. Flour through chocolate chips. Stir together all the ingredients well with a fork. Make sure there is no lumps in the mixture. In a medium sized bowl combine your butter, sugar, vanilla and coconut milk. Stir together well with a fork until everything is well combined. Make a well in the middle of your dry mix to add the wet mix too. Pour the wet mix in, stirring while combining. You should be using a large spoon to mix it now or an electric mixer. Once all ingredients are well combined it should be like the consistency of pancake batter. Prepare a muffin baking tray with either liners or oiled. Take one big spoon full and place into a muffin slot. The batter should be about 2/3 full. Repeat 12 times and place in the oven. Bake for 18 minutes. 

Once your cupcakes are ready take them out of the oven. You can stab them with a toothpick to make sure they are done but mine were perfect after 18 minutes. Remove from tray and place on a large plate to cool down. Time for frosting!!

To make the frosting you'll need an electric mixer. I have an old handheld one and it worked perfect! First you'll want to melt your butter. Add your melted butter to a medium sized bowl. Add your vanilla. Begin to add your powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Start to mix it using your mixer and continue to add the rest of your sugar while mixing it.

 Keep beating your frosting for 4 minutes. It should be a good, thick, creamy texture by now. If its not, keep mixing. If its too thick you can add some coconut milk 1 teaspoon at a time. Once the consistency is right you can sprinkle in your beet powder. Continue mixing while adding the powder. Beat for another 2 minutes. 

Once all your beet powder is well combined and your icing is a nice pink color you can throw it in the fridge. If you are using an icing bag, place your icing into the bag then place it in the fridge until your cupcakes are ready to be frosted. Allow your cupcakes to cool for 10-15 minutes before icing them. This should make the perfect amount of frosting for this recipe. Ice your cupcakes then serve! These will rock your world. 

VEGAN MAPLE PECAN SCONES W/ MAPLE ICING

Its December! I can't believe how fast November flew by. I barely had enough time to enjoy the fall and now its winter already! We had snow on Vancouver Island already. Of course since its extra chilly outside that calls for more baking inside! These are an awesome holiday recipe. They look great to serve at parties and they are perfect at any time of day. Super easy to make, cheap and quick! Plus it doesn't use a lot of ingredients up so you can make HUGE batches. You'll want to too because once someone eats one they are begging for more! Bake my maple pecan scones to warm you up on a chilly winter day!

Happy baking and happy holidays!

VEGAN MAPLE PECAN SCONES

with maple icing!

Scone Recipe

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup of toasted pecans, chopped fine

5 tablespoons of earth balance buttery spread

3/4 cup of bananas mashed = 2 ripe bananas

1/4 cup almond fresh coconut milk

2 tablespoons agave syrup 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup or flavour

Maple Icing Recipe

1 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon earth balance buttery spread, melted

1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup agave syrup

2 teaspoons maple syrup or flavour

dash of almond fresh coconut milk

Steps

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Begin by putting 3/4 cup of pecans chopped fine on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Toast them in the oven for 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them!

Next combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together well with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of your toasted pecans to the mix and stir together. Saving the rest to sprinkle on top afterwards. Once all ingredients are combined, create a well in the middle. Add your butter to the dry mix first using either a pastry cutter or a fork to combine it well. Once all of that is mixed in, mash your bananas in a measuring cup then add your milk. It should equal one cup now. If it doesn't, add more milk till it does!  Create the well again and add your banana/milk mixture to the middle. Beat all the ingredients in together for another 10 minutes. Once that's ready prepare a lightly floured surface to roll your dough out on. 

Roll your dough out until its about 8 inches long by 4 inches tall. It should be around a 1/2 inch thick. 

Begin to cut your scones out in triangles using a knife. Prepare a lightly oiled baking tray to place them on and bake for 15 minutes.

Now that the scones are baking its time to making your icing! The icing really adds to the scones so don't skip this step! It's well worth it and easy as pie. 

Begin by putting your powdered sugar in a medium size bowl and add your salt. Mix it with a fork to make sure all the clumps are broken up. Next melt your butter and add the rest of the wet ingredients while you're mixing it. It's important to mix it while you're combining it because it really helps the consistency! 

It should be looking like this after 5 minutes though :)

Once that's ready pop it in the fridge till your scones are done. 

BAM FINTO

Easy right?

Let your scones cool down for 15-20 minutes once they are done. The longer the better because the icing sticks to the surface better when its cooler. Spread lots of icing over the top of your scones and sprinkle your remaining 1/4 cup of toasted pecans over top of your scones. Enjoy:)

VEGAN RED VELVET CUPCAKES

I lovee beet root powder! Such an awesome ingredient to have in your pantry. Not only is it great for you(see benefits of beet powder)  it tastes amazing. It gives your baked goods this really authentic fruity taste without having to add big piece of fruit and its awesome for coloring things. I spent a long time trying to find red food coloring (NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE) but when I finally did and it was almost 10 dollars for a very small bottle I figured I better find something better. Thats when I went to the herb store and got some red beet root powder. It doesnt taste or smell like much on its own but once you add water it has a very rich red color. I haven't experimented with it too much yet but it works GREAT for red velvet things and coloring icing. Enjoy these delicious red velvet cupcakes :) Happy cruelty free living!!

VEGAN RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Recipe

Makes 12

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

3/4 cup wholesome sweetners turbinado sugar

pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

dash of cinnamon

2 tablespoons of fair trade organic cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of earths own almond fresh coconut almond milk

1/4 cup of earth balance original buttery spread

Food coloring

2 teaspoons beet powder

1 1/2 tablespoons water

Mixed together well with a fork.

Steps

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Oil a cupcake tray with coconut oil or place cupcake liners in each spot. Combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a fork. Make sure there is no clumps. Create a well in the middle. Melt your earth balance and pour out 1 cup of your almond milk. Combine wet ingredients, adding the vanilla as well, in a medium sized bowl. Dump your wet mixture into your dry and begin to mix with a fork. Combine your beet powder and water. Add to the mixture. Continue stirring until all dry ingredients are absorbed and everything is well incorporated. Your mixture should be pretty runny and pourable. Once the oven is preheated you're ready to fill your cupcake tray. Fill each slot 2/3 full. Sprinkle with some of your favorite toppings or add icing and sprinkles afterwards!  Bake for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!!!

*cool before icing.

(I will be posting my icing recipe later)