Vegan Cupcakes: Touchdown!

So, I'm going to be honest here. I'm not exactlyyy your avid football fan. BUT - I love Superbowl Sunday because Game Time is THE perfect excuse for a little pot-luck, friend-gathering fiesta...and what's not to love about that?

Killer nachos? Check. Pigs-in-a-blanket? Check. Seven-layer dip, veggies and hummus, pretzels, chips, wings, bruschetta...yum! My friends and I all contributed a little this-and-that for an über-fun Superbowl party yesterday evening, hosted by non-other than my lovely friend Ashley. Me? I volunteered to bring along some sweet chocolatey treats. Which means bright and early on Sunday morning, I was wide awake in the kitchen, apron donned, mug of coffee by my side, whipping up some tasty from-scratch Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes. The best part? "Vegan," by default, automatically means dairy-free!

I've always thought of cupcakes as being A.) Really cute, and B.) Special-occasion kind of desserts, (move over cookies!). You just don't encounter them every day. Unless you live above Billy's Bakery, but that's another story. So, when you do get your hands on a yummy little cupcake, it truly becomes an "oh-la-la" moment of taste bud bliss.

After Googling the internet for THE perfect Vegan Chocolate Cupcake recipe, I finally found one starred with rave reviews. A winner! This one accomplishes what the quintessential Vegan treat should always strive to do: not taste Vegan. Indeed, if I hadn't made these myself, I would have bet that Paula Dean loaded them up with butter, milk, and heavy cream herself. Quite the contrary. Try this recipe and they'll surely be a game-time winner...even if you are really paying more attention to the commercials.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World,” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

Ingredients:

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

White Frosting Vanilla Glaze:

1/2 package of confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup vegan margarine (softened)

3 tablespoons soy milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes. It may curdle a little bit; this is OK!
3. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, pausing a couple times to stir until all the large lumps are gone. A few small lumps are OK.
4. Pour the mixture into the cupcake liners until they are about 2/3 of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
5. Sift confectioner's sugar into a large bowl and add in the soy milk, margarine, and vanilla. Beat until creamy, adding either more sugar or soy milk until desired consistency is reached. Spread on cooled cupcakes and garnish with shredded coconut or topping of choice.