Happy Birthday! Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes!

1. Today is a special day around The Two Vegan Ladies household. It's Jenna's Birthday! For the occasion we're doing a lot of different things to celebrate including going out to our favorite all-vegan restaurant with family, spending the day at a water park, and making delicious homemade vegan chocolate cupcakes! 
2. There's a lot of different recipes out there for animal-free cupcakes. A lot of people suggest applesauce or flaxseed to replace the egg typically suggested for cake recipes. We've tried a lot of them with varied results, but in all, when we're wanting chocolate cupcakes- this is our go-to recipe.

What you'll need:

1 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup raw sugar

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract or more 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

First, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper, foil, or reusable liners. Reusable liners you say? Yes, they do exist! Check them out: Reusable Baking Cups The good part about these is you can just pop the cupcake out!

Now, whisk together the almond milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for five minutes to curdle. 

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 

Next, add the sugar, oil, and extracts to the almond milk mixture and beat until foamy. 

Now, add all together and beat until there are no lumps.

Pour mixture into liners. Fill each cup about 3/4 of the way full. 

Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Test by sticking a toothpick in the center and making sure it comes out clean. 

Once baked, transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

So then what about frosting?

Well oddly enough a lot of store-bought frostings are already animal product free. Like the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls- "so fake, it's vegan!" For instance the Pillsbury Cream Cheese frosting... vegan. That's correct. It contains neither cream nor cheese! 

So either take a look at the back of a canned icing (be mindful of whey, carmine if it's tinted redish, and casin)  or try this recipe if you feel like going for something homemade!

This is buttercream type icing. Like what you would taste on a typical birthday cake.

What you'll need:

1 cup shortening 

3 1/2 vegan powdered sugar (any organic powdered sugar will be vegan)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 almond milk

Beat the shortening and powdered sugar toegther until well belnded. Add the vanilla extract and almond milk and beat for another 5 minutes or until fluffy. 

And don't forget the sprinkles!

With peace, love, and compassion-

The Two Vegan Ladies