Vanilla Mini Cupcakes with Rose Infused Cream Cheese Frosting

 

My first ever mini cupcakes! 

Lessons learned: Don't believe the lady at kitchen kaboodle who tells you that the cupcake liners will hold the form of your cupcakes. WRONG. I lost 5 or 6 because they came out of the oven all warped and didn't rise.

Use a cupcake tin!! Definitely won't make that mistake again...

Don't fill them more than 3/4 of the way full! Oops :) Some of them spilled up over the edges and just generally didn't bake as evenly as I would have liked.

But on the bright side they tasted awesome :) And so festive! The only way they could be more Valentines-ey is if I had used heart sprinkles or ribbon or something. I prefer the simplicity though...

Vanilla Mini Cupcakes

Makes 24 mini cupcakes!

• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance) 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Unbleached)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tin

Start by whisking together apple cider vinegar, flax seeds and soy milk in a small bowl and set in the fridge for about 5 minutes to curdle.

In your main mixing bowl, cream together margarine and sugar with your mixer on low - be careful not to over beat (no more than two minutes!) Add in vanilla and beat for an additional 10 seconds or until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together all dry ingredients.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until fully combined (little lumps okay but I usually beat the mixture together in my mixer for 3-5 minutes)

Pour mixture into cupcake liners or tins UNTIL NO MORE THAN 3/4 of the way full!! Don't overfill them!!

Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes (Don't overbake!)

Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool while you prep the frosting.


Rose Infused Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated shortening (Earth Balance)
• 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated butter substitute (Earth Balance)
• 1/3 cup vegan cream cheese (Trader Joe's has their own brand now!! Or Tofutti - classic)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp Rosewater

Beat shortening and butter together until totally combined and fluffy.

Add cream cheese and beat for another 2-3 minutes

Slowly add in sugar and rosewater alternating and continue to beat for about 5-7 minutes or until fluffy! Feel free to add soymilk if you need but I like my frosting a little thicker :)

Pour into a piping bag and pipe onto fully cooled cupcakes.

Top with sliced strawberries and enjoy this simple and satisfying Valentine's Day Treat!




Live long and prosper lovebirds! <3

Raspberry-filled Rose Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream Frosting

 

Guess who got her new piping tips from amazon today?!

That's right kiddos, and new piping tips can only mean one thing: New Cupcake Recipe!

Without further adieu, I give you the ultimate spring potluck recipe: Raspberry-filled, rose flavored cupcakes with buttercream frosting colored with fresh squeezed beet juice. Oh the lengths I go through for my baked goods. Not only did I have to wait on my piping tips to come, but then I had to buy rosewater (a totally random ingredient) and a narrow nosed squeeze-type applicator bottle (also can be used for hair dye) for this recipe. And then I forgot I didn't have enough cupcake liners so I had to run across the street and buy those too. Jeez cupcakes!! But they were TOTALLY WORTH IT - derrricious.

For ze Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup soymilk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup sweetened apple sauce
• 3 tsp rosewater

Preheat the over to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin!

In a bowl, whisk your soymilk and ACV together and set aside for about 10 minutes to curdle.

In your mixer, softly mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.

Keeping the mixer on low, slowly mix in the soy milk/ACV combo, followed by the canola oil, apple sauce and rosewater. Continue to mix until all the lumps have disappeared.

Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling each one NO MORE THAN 3/4 FULL.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. So Rosy, so delicious.

Let them cool for about 10 minutes and then fill a narrowly tipped squeeze bottle (as seen photo right) with berry flavored preserves (if you use raspberry, you may have to cut the top down a little bit to keep the seeds from getting stuck). Insert the tip of the squeeze bottle as far down into the cupcake as it will comfortable go and inject filling into the center. You will be able to tell when the cavity you create with the nose of the squeeze bottle is full because it will start to run out over the top. Stop when that starts to happen :)

Let the cupcakes cool the rest of the way and prepare to frost!

For Ze Frosting

• 1/2 cup vegan shortening (Earth Balance) - softened
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance) - softened
• 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (Tofutti) - softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2+ Tbs fresh squeezed beet juice (you can get this at most markets with a juice squeezer)

Cream the shortening, margarine and cream cheese together in a mixer. In about 1/2 cup batches, slowly add the powdered sugar, making sure to whip thoroughly between each batch.

After the powdered sugar is fully mixed in, add in the beet juice and continue to whip until fully combined. This was really touch and go for me; I had no idea how much beet juice it would take or even if it would work at all but as I kept adding and mixing, it turned the frosting pink beautifully and you couldn't taste the beet juice flavor at all :)

When the frosting is the consistency/color that you want, use a spatula to put the frosting into a piping bag and then pipe onto cupcakes!! Again, I'm still learning piping techniques but the tips made a dramatic difference in the present-ability of these cupcakes. Woo woo!

I made these cupcakes for an architecture pot luck but they would stand up to any springy, lovey or baby-themed party as well. I'm thinking baby shower? They are kind of girly but I don't care - everyone loves cupcakes even if they are pink and raspberry rose flavored.

Has anyone else worked with rose water before? This was my first time and the stuff sure is strong. I would love some other recipe ideas because I have a whole bottle now and need to use it!

Live Long and Prosper. And rejoice over piping tips!