Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

A friend of mine recently gave me a cupcake carry case that she was not using. Having a deep love for cupcakes (and baking for others), I was positively thrilled. Tonight was the last meeting of one of my classes, so I decided to bring cupcakes to share. I've been tweaking the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder box for awhile now.

The last time I veganized it, I used Ener-G Egg replacer and soy milk. Tonight, though, I didn't have the egg replacer. I looked at various web pages for advice about the substitution. I am already familiar with some substitutions.

I didn't think blended tofu would work here, as the egg in cake works in part as a leaven. The same goes for applesauce, mashed banana, and fig puree. (I also worried about the taste of any of these fruits interfering with the flavor of the cake. I'll try banana sometime and report back to you.) In the past, I've had bad luck with flaxseed and psyllium husk, as both can be tough to blend into a batter and either one can leave a slightly grainy texture. (I save those binders for recipes that have nuts in them.) I also didn't want to try extra baking powder, as I was worried it would dry out the final product by allowing too much air in without adding moisture.

In the end, I decided to go with vinegar. I was a bit nervous about it. I wasn't worried that my cake batter would turn into a volcano, but I was concerned about the difference in volume for liquid. The end result was moist, rich, and tender. It was probably the softest cupcake I've ever made. I definitely will be using vinegar again. Even my mom's boyfriend, a dyed-in-the-wool carnivore, loved them. (He said that these were the best batch yet! He still doesn't know they were vegan.)

Without further ado, here's the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare your pans by either greasing or lining with paper cupcake wrappers. You will wind up with between 24 and 30 cupcakes.

Stir together the following in a large bowl:
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (the Dutch process is prettier, but any kind works)
1 1/2 T. baking soda
1 1/2 T. baking powder
1 t. salt

When blended, add:
1/2 c. canola oil (or other neutral oil)
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 c. plain almond milk
1 T. vanilla

Mix well. The batter will be thick. Don't worry about lumps.

Add:
1 c. boiling water

Stir until blended.

Pour the batter into the tins. You will need a scant 1/4 c. for each cupcake for a regular-sized tin.

Put into the oven. They will probably take 20-22 minutes, but if your oven runs hot, they might take less time. Check with a skewer. Cool in the pans for a minute or two, then move to a cooling rack. If you are in a huge hurry, you can put them in the freezer, allowing space around them. Once they are totally cooled, you can frost them.

Frosting:
Beat together:
1/2 c. melted Earth Balance
2/3 c. cocoa powder

Beat in 3-4 c. of powdered sugar and 1/3-1/2 c. of almond milk. You should add the powdered sugar gradually, about a cup at a time, and alternate with the almond milk. Once it is all blended together, add 1 T. of vanilla. Frost the cupcakes generously, testing the frosting frequently. This makes a lot.