Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (23 page)

WE’RE IN LOVE with this perfectly light, creamy, and just-right peanut-buttery-tasting buttercream. You’ll be, too, when you make this but we won’t be the least bit jealous. Use the most creamy, natural peanut butter you can find; try to avoid chunkier varieties where the oil separates easily, instead choose peanut butters whose texture is thinner and the oil seems to stay put better. Also, salted peanut butter gives it a true peanut butter flavor.

The barley malt or molasses is entirely optional; the malty flavor adds even more depth to the roasted taste of peanut butter. But the frosting still tastes great without it.

This recipe makes a generous amount of filling to be piped into cupcakes. Double the amount to frost the top of cupcakes.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup margarine, softened
2 tablespoons shortening (Earth Balance
sticks are the best for this)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or
molasses, optional
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tablespoons rice milk, soy milk,
or soy creamer

DIRECTIONS

1. With electric handheld mixer, cream together margarine and shortening at medium speed till smooth. Add peanut butter, barley malt syrup, and vanilla, and beat until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in sugar; mixture will be very stiff. Dribble in rice milk a little at a time, beating continuously till frosting is pale tan and very fluffy.
Adjust the thickness of the frosting by adding rice milk or more confectioners’ sugar in small increments if necessary. Frost or fill cooled cupcakes.

A CREAMY, SHOCKINGLY purple, and low-fat alternative to many frostings. Probably healthy, too, since it’s chock-full of antioxidant-rich berries. It’s not the sweetest topping out there, but we like it that way. Cupcakes filled or topped with this should be served within a few hours since this moist topping can make them soggy. We like it especially with The SEXY LOW-FAT VANILLA CUPCAKES (page 41) or SIMPLE VANILLA AND AGAVE NECTAR CUPCAKES (page 44).

 

 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup frozen blueberries, at room temperature
(measure before thawing)
6 ounces (about half a box) firm or
extra-firm silken aseptic-pack tofu,
such as Mori-Nu, drained of any
excess liquid
Dash of salt
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple
syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon extract, optional
1/3 cup water or fruit juice, as needed
1 teaspoon agar powder
1 tablespoon arrowroot

DIRECTIONS

1. Gently strain juice away from berries and measure; you’ll need approximately 1/3 cup of juice. If more liquid is needed, use water or a complementary fruit juice.

2. Blend drained berries, tofu, salt, agave, lemon juice, and lemon extract in a food processor till creamy, 30 to 60 seconds.

3. In a cup, stir together 1 tablespoon of the blueberry juice and the arrowroot and set aside.

4. In a small saucepan, whisk together remaining juice and the agar powder. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat and simmer for about 30
seconds, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat slightly. Pour in the arrowroot mixture in a steady stream and stir constantly till mixture becomes very thick and is no longer opaque, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and with a heatproof spatula pour the mixture into the food processor with tofu mixture. Blend till creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times. Scrape mousse into a container, cover, and put in refrigerator to set, 1 to 2 hours. Whip slightly with a whisk or fork before loading into a pastry bag for piping.

Variation

RASPBERRY MOUSSE OR TOPPING:
Substitute frozen raspberries for blueberries. Press thawed raspberries through a strainer to remove seeds. Measure juice and proceed as directed.

YOU’LL DEFINITELY NEED to break out the pastry bag because this mousse likes to be fancy. Even though it has tofu, this topping is so luscious and rich, it is safe to serve to omnivores. They honestly will never know.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

1 (12.3-ounce) package extra-firm silken
aseptic tofu, such as Mori-Nu,
drained of excess liquid
¼ cup plain soy milk
2 tablespoons agave syrup or maple
syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate
chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Crumble the tofu into a blender. Add the soy milk, agave, and vanilla. Puree until completely smooth. Set aside.

2. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Obviously you don’t have a double boiler so take a small saucepan and fill halfway with water. On top of that place a small saute pan or metal bowl. Fill the saute pan with chocolate chips and bring the water to a boil. Use a rubber spatula to mix the chocolate as it melts. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the chocolate to the tofu and blend until combined, use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender every so often.

4. Transfer the mousse to an airtight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Chill for an hour.

Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Mousse Topping

Variations

CHOCOLATE ORANGE MOUSSE:
Replace 2 tablespoons of the soy milk with orange liqueur. Add a teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the blended tofu.

 

MOCHA MOUSSE:
Add 2 teaspoons coffee extract to the blended tofu or add 1 tablespoon instant coffee to the soy milk and heat until dissolved.

 

CHOCOLATE BANANA MOUSSE:
Add a very ripe banana to the blended tofu.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup nonhydrogenated margarine,
softened
¼ cup vegan cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Cream together margarine and cream cheese until just combined. Use a handheld mixer to whip while adding the confectioners sugar in ½ cup batches. Mix until smooth and creamy, then mix in the vanilla. Keep tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Variations

LEMONY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Add 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Add 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest.

COFFEE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Add 2 teaspoons coffee extract.

TOASTED WALNUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

 

Add ½ teaspoon almond extract. In a heavy-bottomed pan, toast ½ cup walnut halves for 5 minutes over medium heat, tossing occasionally. Set aside to cool. Finely chop the walnuts and fold into the frosting.

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Melt 4 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet or semisweet chocolate in a double boiler. Add to the margarine and cream cheese mixture and mix until combined, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

ANOTHER ONGOING PROJECT
at Vegan Cupcake R&D is creating the perfect raspberry buttercream. We’ve tried fresh raspberries, reductions, preserves (all either not having enough flavor or tasting too much like preserves), and raspberry extract seems to be a little elusive, so in this version raspberry syrup gets the job done. This is the kind of syrup that’s used for lattes and Italian sodas, used by baristas everywhere. Avoid any other kinds of syrup, as in stufffor waffles or pancakes. Try to use an “all-natural” brand for best flavor. It also gives the frosting a nice natural-looking mauve tint, but you can always add a drop of red food coloring if that’s how you roll. If you do happen to be the proud owner of actual raspberry extract it makes a fine addition to this the recipe as well, as does strawberry extract

 

 

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup nonhydrogenated shortening
¼ cup margarine
1¾ to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons raspberry syrup
½ teaspoon raspberry extract,
or strawberry extract, optional
Drop of red food coloring, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Cream together shortening and margarine till smooth. With a fork or spatula, work in 1½ cups of the confectioners’ sugar, forming a crumbly mixture. Beat in syrup till mixture is creamy, then if mixture is too watery or not fluffy enough, beat in additional confectioners’ sugar one tablespoon at a time till desired consistency is reached.

A SPEEDY WAY
to add a touch of tasty decoration to the tops of already frosted cupcakes. Makes enough to drizzle on a dozen cupcakes

 

 

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons soy creamer or soy milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat soy creamer in a small saucepan over medium heat till just about to simmer. Remove from heat; add chocolate chips and stir till chocolate is completely melted and creamer is incorporated. Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes. With a spatula scoop into a prepared pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip chopped off, or drizzle haphazardly with a fork.
QUICK MELTY GANACHE
will set when fully cooled.