I cooked for an SPCA and Mercy for Animals fundraiser this past weekend. I made lots of vegan food to entice people to choose more compassionate meals by leaving out all animal ingredients. I made many delicious recipes that I’ve already shared with you: lasagna rolls, cilantro salad, and quinoa salad. In addition, I made a few recipes I have yet to share, like a scrumptious chocolate raspberry cake, classic Italian potato salad and today’s recipe: strawberry vanilla cupcakes. I learned this recipe from Ann Gentry and modified it slightly from her recipe book, Vegan Family Meals.
These strawberry vanilla cupcakes were a huge hit at the fundraiser! They are very sweet: a perfect occasional treat.
I tried to make a gluten-free version by using brown rice flour, but it was a colossal fail. I have not been experiencing much success with the rice flour lately. My creations come out too dry and hard. Unfortunately, that batch was not even edible, and ended up in the trash. I decided to give in and use the white flour, even though it is not the healthiest option. For occasional indulgence, it does the trick!
Try this recipe and let me know what you think.
Vanilla Strawberry Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups unbleached white flour
1 ½ cups cane sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup grapeseed oil
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
5 strawberries
Frosting:
1 cup vegan butter
2 cups icing sugar
2 strawberries, mashed well with a fork
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 12 muffin cups or 24 minimuffin cups with parchment paper liners.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Mix the almond milk and cider vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. The milk will thicken slightly.
4. Mix in the oil, vanilla and almond extract.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until blended.
6. Spoon into muffin cups.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
8. Let muffins cool before applying frosting.
9. For the frosting, combine all frosting ingredients in a bowl and use a handheld mixer to beat mixture until smooth and creamy.
10. Use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to apply frosting on the cupcakes.
11. Refrigerate cupcakes for one hour. Apply a piece of strawberry on each cupcake if desired.
As we become purer channels for God’s light, we develop an appetite for the sweetness that is possible in this world. A miracle worker is not geared toward fighting the world that is, but toward creating the world that could be. ~Marianne Williamson
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