SG homework topic for this week is favorite recipe!
I've got that sweet tooth, remember my guilty pleasures? Yes... Cupcakes should have been on that list as well. Especially if I baked them, not to brag, but I'll brag and say they are always the best! And if you're not a vegan, don't worry! You won't even think about the lack of eggs or milk, trust me!
I use the recipe from the cookbook Vegan Cupcakes take over the World, for Simple vanilla and agave nectar cupcakes. This is my go to cupcake, it's super easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. The only thing to watch is checking the time and temperature, agave baked goods tend to burn easily. Plus my ovens are ancient and electric, so for me that always makes things interesting when I bake.
Ok! Here is the recipe! I tend to change things a bit...
2/3 cup of soy milk (I usually use hemp milk)
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup of light agave nectar
1/3 cup of safflower oil (the cookbook uses canola oil but it gives me pimples so I steer clear)
1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 & 1/3 cups of flour (spelt or rice flour are my favorites)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and preheat oven to 325
Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl; allow to sit for several minutes to curdle. Beat in the agave, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until smooth. (I rarely if ever sift in the dry ingredients. Instead I just mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then add the wet ingredients.) Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Don't over bake, or you get dry cupcakes! This is where I have to really watch and adjust my temp and time... With my oven it's more like 15 minutes! The recipe book says to let these cupcakes cool for an hour before frosting them! Who even waits that long?! Surely not me!
For the frosting I usually keep things super simple. I like to melt carob chips with a little hemp milk and I use a food processor to get the mix nice and smooth. Refrigerate for a couple hours and you are good to go!
At first baking seemed intimidating, but once I got the basics down it's so much fun! I have often daydreamed about opening up a little bakery, specializing in vegan cupcakes. Hehe but I think I really just want to have an excuse to eat cupcakes everyday. Opening up any kind of business in the food industry is quite a task, and I'm honestly not sure if I really should invest the time and money into that. But it's a nice thought!
Mmmmmm! Now I have a powerful craving for cupcakes! Someone may have to do some baking this weekend! 😏
@charmaine
