Ze lime en ze coconut

I'm back I'm back!

And this recipe is much overdue... A woman at work, who I met only once (at the party that these were made for), stopped me in a bathroom on campus to ask me for this recipe... I made them for a retirement party held for another woman at work and everyone loved them. Seriously.Did they know the cupcakes were vegan, too? Nope. Totes doesn't matter. They are delish. And beautiful, to boot.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Recipe courtesy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Ingredients:

1/3 c. coconut oil

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 c. cocnut milk

1/4 c. soy milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. coconut extract (somehow I had to go to 3 stores to find this...)

1 tbsp. lightly packed finely grated lime zest

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. unsweetened coconut (I also had a hell of a time finding this, and actually? I never did. So I used 1/2 the amt. of sugar called for and a little less than 1 c. coconut)

Frosting (below)

1 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut

Thinly sliced limes, cut in half, and then cut up to the peel

Lime Buttercream Frosting:

Note: The icing is super sweet, but worth it. The lime zest in it looks so adorable, too.

1/2 c. non-hydrogenated shortening (Kroger's)

1/2 c. non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance, of course!)

3 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. finely grated lime zest

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350. Line cupcake pan w/liners

2. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over very low heat. Once melted, turn the heat off but leave it in the pan on the stove so that it stays warm and does not solidify.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted coconut oil and sugar. Add the coconut milk, soy milk, vanilla, coconut extract & lime zest. Mix to combine.

4. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until smooth. Add the coconut & mix to incorporate

5. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until the cupcake top springs back when touched & a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean.

6. Cool completely before icing.

To assemble:

Heap the frosting onto the cupcakes. Place the flaked coconut on a pie plate. Gently roll the cupcakes, sides first, in the coconut. Place decorative lime slices on top. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

YUMMMM.

It's gotta be you

I wasn't exactly sure what to title this post, so thank you Backstreet Boys.

"It's gotta be you! *Alllll the wayyy.*

Well, it definitely IS this cupcake today.

I haven't baked anything in a couple of weeks, probably since my banana bread fiasco. Which, looking back, really wasn't that bad... but I was scarred for a bit, I suppose. Anyways, Rafael and I have been pondering business venture ideas and cupcakes have come up more than once (mind you, a cupcake shop just opened last year down the street from our house. I've been once. Not so impressed...) And while I toy back and forth with vegetarian/vegan, I'm on a vegan-kick at the moment and have been wanting to make vegan cupcakes for awhile.

So, today presented the perfect timing!

Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet could be considered one of my bibles, and I have finally made her Favorite Cupcake. I found another frosting to use, since hers calls for soy milk powder (?) and I couldn't find it for the life of me, not even at Sevenanda, and I didn't want runny frosting, eww.

Well regardless of how the cupcakes turn out, this frosting might be the best I've ever made (recipe below). I used Earth Balance butter, which is a true staple in mi casa. If I can ever recommend anything ever to anyone, EVER, I recommend Earth Balance. Seriously, this "butter" is way better than any real butter I have ever tasted. Ever. And you can get it at any grocery store - Kroger, Publix, Trader Joe's, even the Buford Highway Farmer's Market carries it.

It.is.the.bomb.

While the cupcake isn't the very best I've ever had, the frosting makes it taste like it.

Alicia's Favorite Cupcakes

2/3 c. hemp or soy milk (I used plain soy. Vanilla might be good?)

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2/3 c. agave nectar

1/3 c. safflower oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 325F. Line muffin pan.

Combine the milk and vinegar and set aside for about 5 minutes or until it bubble a little (it should be known that I was staring at this mixture up close for a few minutes straight looking for bubbles. I finally gave up and determined that they must be there somewhere).

Then add the agave, oil and vanilla and whisk.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until there are no more lumps. Pour into tins and bake about 15-18 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into cupcake).

Let cool in pan a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Vegan Chocolate Frosting

1/2 c. earth balance (room temp)

2-3 tbsp. soy milk (I used plain)

1 tbsp. vanilla extract (I just throw some in at my mind's discretion)

2 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

Blend the earth balance, a dash of soymilk & the vanilla, then add a little sugar to get things started. Then add sugar/cocoa powder until well blended and smooth, adding soy milk as needed when it gets too dry. Y ya! Done.

I don't know why I was unsure about the frosting at first. The main ingredient is still the same: SUGAR. Duh. Yum.

I thought I was putting on too much frosting, but turns out it wasn't quite enough, but then I didn't have the patience to get it out of the fridge and oops, the cupcake was gone.

I ordered this book last week and I can't wait for it come! Please hurry up, pleeease, with your other cookbook friend.

So until that book arrives, I will finish eating my icing. With a spoon.

adina :)