Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Not vegan, but designed to go on top of vegan cupcakes.  I have issues.  

I made this recipe (based on my sister's Cream Cheese Frosting recipe) to put on top of my cranberry-orange cupcakes.  I topped the whole shebang** with a sugared cranberry slice, just for that little extra touch.

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese

6 tbsp butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

Preparation

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar. Beat until creamy. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. 

** IMPORTANT NOTE! "Shebang" is in my spell check's dictionary.  That is all.

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Sugared Cranberry Slices

I made these to decorate my Cranberry-Orange Cupcakes.  I figured that since it's Thanksgiving, I should go a little above and beyond.

It's essentially cranberry slices steeped in a simple syrup and then dusted with sugar.  Simple, yet eye-catching.

Ingredients

½ cup demerara or raw sugar

½ cup water

½ cup sliced cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1/8 cup fine sugar

 

Bonus action shot.  Oh, yeah.

Preparation

Combine demerara sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring the mixture to a simmer and remove from heat.

Stir in the sliced cranberries. Pour mixture into a small bowl and cover. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. 

Drain the cranberries in a colander over a bowl. Reserve steeping liquid, if desired (it's a great sweetener for iced tea). Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish. Add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar. Spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry.



  

Vegan Cranberry-Orange Cupcake Recipe

Another family Thanksgiving tradition, along with Cherry Delight, is cranberry sauce, so I took that inspiration and made these Cranberry-Orange Cupcakes.  They turned out lumpy but delicious.  

As always, if you don't have coconut oil and/or rice milk, feel free to replace them with a suitable analogue (for example, vegetable oil/soy milk).

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid

1 cup demerara sugar (or raw sugar)

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 ½ cups rice milk (warmed to room temperature)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure orange extract

zest of one orange

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sliced cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 12 paper baking cups.

Beat together the coconut oil and sugar. Mix in the rice milk and cider vinegar. Add the orange and vanilla extracts. Add the orange zest, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.

Slowly incorporate the flour taking care not to over mix.

With a spatula or spoon, stir in the cranberries.

Portion out the batter into the pre-lined muffin pan.  I ended up with a bit more batter than I needed to fill the cupcake cups; fortunately, the batter is egg-less so you can lick the bowl as much as you want.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  (Mine took about 30 minutes, but I think my oven has issues).

I topped my cupcakes with this Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe, and for a bit of added decoration, I put a sugared cranberry slice on top.

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Gina's Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This is my sister's recipe.  She gave it to me so that I could use it on my Cherry Delight Cupcakes. 

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese

6 tbsp butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar. Beat until creamy. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. 

Cherry Delight Cupcake Recipe

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I decided to make a Thanksgiving themed cupcake.

Along with the typical holiday meal items - turkey, stuffing, corn, pumpkin pie, cranberries - my family has another food tradition: Cherry Delight.  

Cherry Delight is our name for a type of no-bake cheesecake that has a graham cracker crust, a filling made with Cool Whip and cream cheese, and a topping of cherry pie filling.  It is absolutely delicious, and it is always the first dessert that everyone pounces upon after dinner.

This is my Cherry Delight inspired cupcake.

Ingredients

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 10 squares)

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cup pureed cherry pie filling (save 12 whole cherries for inside the cupcakes)

1/3 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid

1/2 cup demerara or raw sugar

1/4 cup rice milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 12 paper baking cups.

Place graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a large bowl. Stir until well combined.

Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner (I used a shot glass).

Cream the sugar and oil together. Incorporate the rice milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Add the pureed cherry pie filling

Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Add the flours, taking care not to overmix.

Portion out the batter into the pre-lined muffin pan, filling each cup only half full.

Place a cherry into the center of each cupcake and fill the cups with the remaining batter.

Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out relatively clean (there may be a bit of cherry on the skewer).

I topped the cupcakes with this cream cheese frosting recipe.

Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe

I designed this frosting to go with my strawberry preserve filled banana cupcake recipe.  They go together well.

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening (I used Crisco)
1 teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons rice milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter (at room temperature)

1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation
Using the whisk attachment on a blender.  Whisk the shortening until fluffy.  Add the rice milk and vanilla and whisk thoroughly.  Add in the peanut butter.  When all of the ingredients are nice and fluffy, slowly add in the powdered sugar.  If it gets a little thick, add a little more rice milk until the desired consistency is achieved.


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Vegan Strawberry Preserve Filled Banana Cupcake Recipe

The name says it all.  It's a bit like a peanut butter, banana, and jelly sandwich, but it's a cupcake!

Ingredients

4 ripe bananas

1/3 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid

3/4 cup demerara or raw sugar

1/4 cup rice milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Approximately 1/3 cup of strawberry preserves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 12 paper baking cups

Toss the bananas into a mixing bowl and mash them with a mixer.  Add the sugar and oil and mix well. Incorporate the rice milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. 

Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.  Add the flours, taking care not to overmix.

Portion out the batter into the pre-lined muffin pan, filling each cup only one-quarter of the way full.

Scoop a spoonful of strawberry preserves into the center of each cupcake and fill the cups with the remaining batter.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out (relatively) clean.

I topped these delicious cupcakes with my own peanut butter frosting.  The recipe can be found here.

  

Mesir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentils) Recipe

     I really enjoy Ethiopian food.  I often visit the Blue Nile Restaurant here in Columbus and Abay in Pittsburgh, but I really want to learn to cook it myself.  This recipe is mostly the same as the one found here, but I removed some of the oil and cut the recipe in half.  

     *Top Tip: Heat the leftovers and wrap them in a tortilla with some cheese.  It's a really great midnight snack.

Ingredients
1 onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and minced
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon Paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Puree the onion, garlic and ginger in a blender or food processor. Add a little water if necessary.

Spray a saucepan with cooking spray and heat over a medium flame. Add turmeric, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir rapidly for about 30 seconds to toast the spices. (Make sure that you have your spices ready. I put in my paprika and watched it burn as I tried to open the turmeric container.  The smell of burned paprika is not pleasant, and it kind of hurts the sinuses).

Add the onion puree and sauté until the excess moisture evaporates and the onion loses its raw aroma. Do not burn. It takes about 5-10 minutes.

Add lentils and vegetable stock to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until lentils are cooked through and fall apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Add more water to keep the lentils from drying out, if necessary.

Stir in salt and pepper to taste and serve. (Add a little more salt than you think you need, it really makes a difference).






    

Vegan Lime Pudding Filled, Chili Spiced Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

I don't know where I got the idea for this pairing.  I think it came from the internet.  Aside from when it doesn't, the internet brings good ideas into our lives, so that's a pretty safe bet.


I developed my own recipe and filling.  It turned out pretty yummy. 


Cupcake Ingredients
3/4 cup demerara sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil (or veg oil)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup rice milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 9 paper baking cups.

Beat together the coconut oil and sugar. Mix in the rice milk, cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.

Mix in the cocoa powder, chili powder, and cayenne powder.

Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Combine well.

Slowly incorporate the flour taking care not to over mix.

Portion out the batter into the pre-lined muffin pan.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Makes 9 cupcakes.


Filling Ingredients
6 ounces Silken Tofu
4 ounces vegan cream cheese
1/2 small package Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
4 tablespoons Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice


Preparation for Filling
Using a mixer, combine the tofu, vegan cream cheese, pudding mix, powdered sugar, Rose's Lime Juice, and vanilla extract.  Refrigerate.


Filling the cupcakes
Unless you have one of those fancy-scmancy pastry bags, filling cupcakes can be a little complicated.  Here's how I did it:

First, let the cupcakes cool before filling them or you will burn your fingers.

Cut a cone out of the top of the cupcake.

This a delicious, delicious cupcake cone.

Trim the bottom of the cone off so that you just have a disk of cupcake top.  What you do with the discarded cupcake innards is between you and the cabinets.  Also, remember that cupcake innards have no calories.  All of the calories are on the outside of the cupcake.

Fill the hole in the cupcake almost to the top with the tasty lime filling.  You can widen the hole to make more room for the pudding, if you want to.

    Place the cupcake top disk on top of the filling to conceal the deliciousness that hides inside.

You can frost the cupcake to hide the big hole or you can eat it as it is.

Vegan Vanilla-Chai Frosting Recipe

I designed this recipe to go along with my Vegan Vanilla-Chai Cupcake Recipe.  Not a huge fan of vegan margarine, I tried to substitute the vegan margarine with coconut oil.  The results were mixed (it tasted a lot like lightly-flavored fondant), so this is the best that I can do for now.  If you can think of a suitable butter substitute, please enlighten me.

Chai-Buttercream Frosting

1 cup vegan margarine, warmed until liquid

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

1 ¾ tsp garam masala

1 tablespoon coconut milk

Melt the margarine. Add the powdered sugar and beat in the vanilla and coconut milk.

If the frosting is still thick, add a few more drops of coconut milk.

Makes about 2 cups of frosting.

Vegan Vanilla-Chai Cupcake Recipe

I'm apparently on a bit of a cupcake kick.  I really enjoy making and sharing them.  Cupcakes are just a wonderful food.  They are serving-sized cakes!  How can that be a bad thing?

This serving-sized cake is spicy, sweet, and delicious.  I put frosting on some of them, but I actually prefer them plain.  They are just so yummy.

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid

2/3 cup demerara sugar (or raw sugar)

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 ½ cups lite coconut milk (warmed to room temperature)

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons garam masala spice mix**

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 12 paper baking cups.

Beat together the coconut oil and sugar. Mix in the coconut milk and cider vinegar. Add the vanilla extract. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the garam masala and ginger. Combine well.

Slowly incorporate the flour taking care not to over mix.

Portion out the batter into the pre-lined muffin pan.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

I frosted my some of my cupcakes with this frosting, but I like them better without the frosting.

** Check the ingredients on your garam masala mix.  I accidentally picked up one with onion and garlic powder.  They didn't taste horrible, but they didn't taste good.  I recommend McCormicks.

Vegan Jaffa Cake Cupcake Recipe (Orange Marmalade Filled Cupcakes)

My family loves Jaffa Cakes, and every time I visit England I have to smuggle back at least a couple dozen.  I came up with this recipe as a possible way to satisfy my family's cravings during those long spans between trips.

These cupcakes aren't 100% like Jaffa Cakes, but they are still quite yummy.  They are best served cooled because the marmalade filling is very hot straight out of the oven.

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid

2/3 cup demerara sugar (or raw sugar)

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 ½ cups rice milk (warmed to room temperature)

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure orange extract

zest of one orange

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of vegan chocolate chips

Approximately 1/4 cup of Sweet Orange Marmalade

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 12 paper baking cups.

Beat together the coconut oil and sugar.  Mix in the rice milk and cider vinegar. Add the orange and vanilla extracts. Add the orange zest, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.

Slowly incorporate the flour taking care not to over mix.

With a spatula or spoon, stir in the vegan chocolate chips.

Portion out the batter into the pre-lined muffin pan - filling only about half-way.

Scoop a spoonful of orange marmalade into the center of each cupcake and fill the cupcake cups with the remaining batter.  They don't rise a lot, so I filled the cups almost to the top.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out relatively clean (it might have a little marmalade on it).

Makes 12 cupcakes.  

I iced my cupcakes with this Vegan Orange-Chocolate Frosting.

Vegan Chocolate-Orange Frosting Recipe

I came up with this recipe to frost my Vegan Swedish Fish Cupcakes, and it was surprisingly easy to make.  I had only ever made cream cheese frostings before and always assumed that chocolate frosting would be a pain to make.  That's why they have such great tubs of it at the grocery store, right?  I was horribly mistaken and will probably never buy another tub of chocolate icing again.

I used this recipe from Hershey's as my inspiration, but ended up tweaking it quite a bit because I'm apparently incapable of just following a recipe without "improving" on it.  Still, it turned out lovely and tastes a bit like a Terry's Chocolate Orange.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegan margarine
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup rice milk (or an appropriate analogue)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure orange extract

Melt the margarine. Stir in the cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, while beating. 

If the frosting is still thick, add a few more drops of rice milk. Stir in vanilla and orange extract.

Makes about 1 ½ cups of frosting.

Vegan Swedish Fish Cupcake Recipe

They said it couldn't be done, but I did it.  I made vegan cupcakes with Swedish Fish*, and they are absolutely delicious. 

There's a lot going on in these cupcakes, but it all works.  I created an orange cupcake base for my cupcake because I thought it might nicely accent the ummm.... cherry flavor?  Are they cherry?  I just don't know, but I thought red flavor would go well with orange.  This basic vegan cupcake recipe is the one upon which I was built.  My recipe is much different, but I like to give credit to those who came up with the original ratios.

If you don't have coconut oil, you can substitute it with canola or vegetable oil.  Ditto if you don't have rice milk.  It can also be replaced with an appropriate analogue if necessary

Ingredients  

1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid

2/3 cup demerara sugar (or raw sugar)

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 ½ cups rice milk (warmed to room temperature)

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure orange extract

zest of one orange

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of small Swedish Fish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 12 paper baking cups.

Beat together the coconut oil and sugar.

Mix in the rice milk and cider vinegar. Add the orange and vanilla extracts.

Add the orange zest, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.

Slowly incorporate the flour taking care not to over mix.

With a spatula or spoon, stir in the Swedish Fish.

Portion out the batter into the pre-lined muffin pan. They don't rise a lot, so I filled the cups almost to the top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

I iced my cupcakes with this Vegan Orange-Chocolate Frosting.

* Swedish Fish are vegan.  PETA says so.