Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Cupcakes, sweetened condensed milk, and ganache... oh my?!

First Baking Post of Vegan Mofo! Make these right meow. You will not regret it.

I was still fooling around with chocolate cupcake recipes. You know, so that when I have a bakery, I can call my cupcakes 'World's Best Chocolate Cupcakes.' Or so that when I give them to people, they tell me, with absolute certainty, that this indeed is the World's Best Chocolate Cupcake. What an ego boost, I tell ya.

Okay, I'm not really that full of myself. But this here recipe that I devised by taking some of one recipe and some of another recipe and then baking for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven is really, really frigging good. My search, all that fooling around, might be done. These are frigging fantastic.

Frigging Fantastic Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 c almond milk (your fave non dairy should work)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 c strong brewed coffee (I used 4 scoops in that half cup of water.)
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 c sugar
1 c flour
1/2 c cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder


Preheat to good ol' 350. Line your tin with paper liners.


Mix together the almond milk, coffee, and vinegar. Set aside for a couple of minutes while you...


... sift together the dry ingredients. Stir or whisk to combine. Make a well, pour in the milk mixture along with the oil and vanilla, and stir together until pretty well mixed, but the occasional lump is totally okay. Divide among the liners and pop into the oven for 20 - 22 minutes. Remove and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before letting them sit on a rack until they're room temp.


 
















Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 cans coconut milk
1/2 c sugar

Bring these two things to a boil and reduce to medium heat, and let simmer until reduced to about half. Stir occasionally or whatever. This *should* take like 15 minutes but it took mine over half an hour. I probably didn't have the heat up high enough but my stove top is evil so I like to err on the side of caution.

Yummy Ganache Frosting
I can say with absolute certainty I will never, *ever* make another chocolate frosting. This is what I look for in chocolate frosting. Seriously.

1/2 c of your newly made sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c + 2 tbsp heavy cream - I used Silk French Vanilla
1/2 c sugar
5 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tbs Earth Balance (I don't know for certain, but the coconut spread might work? Depends on stability at room temp I guess.)


Heat the milk, cream & sugar till simmering, then remove from heat and stir in the chocolate and butter. Let cool a bit, then pop in the fridge for a couple of hours. Remove, let it come back down to room temp, and then pop into your mixer with the paddle or get out the ol' hand mixer and beat for a minute or so until it's fluffy. Pipe onto cupcakes. Or eat with a spoon. Or pipe some onto the cupcakes and whatever is left over, pipe into your mouth. This melts easily and when soft it won't hold its shape as well, so try to work quickly and don't let your hands over heat it when you're piping or it will get blobby.


5 comments:

  1. These look awesome. Milo might get these for his birthday.

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  2. Those do look fantastic. I love coffee in chocolate cake!

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  3. I bet the coffee helps make them the World's Best Chocolate Cupcakes!

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  4. Coffee totally makes everything better always!

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  5. These look awesome and I will try them very soon!

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