Matcha Green Tea Vegan Cupcakes

I made these a while ago for my roommate's birthday cocktail party. They were good, moist and soft with a touch of bitter from the matcha.

Matcha Green Tea (adapted from Vegan Lunch Box)

1 TB apple cider vinegar
1 green tea bag steeped in 1 ½ cups plain soymilk overnight
2 cups flour
2 T matcha powder
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 1/8 cups sugar
½ cup oil
1 ¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line with paper cupcake liners.

In a bowl, mix vinegar and soy milk. Stir well and set aside (the mixture will curdle).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, matcha, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another mixing bowl whisk together the soymilk mixture, canola oil, vanilla, and coconut extract. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth using a hand-held mixer, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Fill each muffin cup with ¼ cup of batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the pan and place on a wire rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.


Matcha Frosting

1/4 cup Earth Balance
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon soy creamer or soymilk
1 T matcha powder
1 t vanilla extract

Cream the shortening for a few minutes until soft. this is easiest using a stand mixer but can be done with a handheld mixer (or a fork) as long as the shortening is at room temperature. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and a few splashes of the soycreamer. Mix to incorporate and continue to alternate until all the powdered sugar is used up and the frosting is at the desired consistency. Add Matcha powder and vanilla.

Mint Chocolate Lovecakes

I was inspired to make cupcakes today after a long day of school and lab. They are mint chocolate cupcakes. But now it's Bedtime!

Chocolate mint cupcakes

Cupcake:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup soymilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon mint extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 12-muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Sift together flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, baking soda and salt. in another bowl combine the rice milk, oil, maple syrup, sugar, vinegar and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for about two minutes. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat for about another minute to combine. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to fully cool.

Mint icing:
1/4 cup Earth Balance
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup or less soymilk
1 teaspoon mint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
green food coloring

Cream the shortening for a few minutes until soft. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and a few splashes of the soy milk. Mix to incorporate and continue to alternate until all the powdered sugar is used up and the frosting is at the desired consistency. Add vanilla and mint.

Ganache:

2 Tablespoons soycreamer or soymilk
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Melt chocolate and soy milk in a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth and runny; be careful not to burn or the chocolate will seize up and become bitter.

Chocolate Hearts

Melted some chocolate and fill a small plastic bag. Cut a small hole at the tip and pipe some hearts onto a piece of waxed paper. Repeat with white chocolate . After letting it harden (on a cold cold porch), peel the hearts off of the waxed paper with a toothpick or two. Fingers will melt them.

Assemble:
Use a piping bag with a large round tip to frost cupcakes. Place a dollop of ganach on top. Pipe another dollop of frosting on top. Add chocolate hearts.

Rosewater Pistachio Cake

A blog! Yes, a place to spout about some of my baking and tango adventures.

I always loved putzing around in the kitchen and I seem to go through phases. For example, it was the winter of my discontent and Amy's Bread book. Spring found me focused on simple vegan cooking. Summer was cookies and tomatoes. In August I got an intense desire for homemade ice cream after eating some at a friend's house so I bought a nice Donvier (the environmentalist that I am) and made a batch of peach ice cream with fresh Delaware peaches. The second batch was vegan chocolate ice cream made with cashews which was amazingly creamy and chocolately. Then Cupcake Bake Shop inspired me to try my hand at cupcakes.

The first batch I made was pistachio cupcakes with rosewater cream cheese frosting. They were very yummy and even a pal who is not so fond of desserts gobbled it down.


Pistachio Cake (adapted from epicurious.com):

1 cup pistachios shelled
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if pistachios are salted)
1/2 cup whole milk (I used soy milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs

A couple hours before baking, take out butter, eggs, cream cheese and milk and bring them to room temperature (this is a reminder for me).

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake liners.

Pulse half of the pistachios in a food processor until finely ground (be careful not to overprocess into a paste). Sift 1 cup flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt into a large bowl. Mix in ground pistachios. Coarsely chop remaining pistachios and add them to the flour mixture.

Combine milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add pistachio flour and milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, and mix at low speed until just combined.

Pour into cupcake liners and bake for 20 - 22 min.

Rosewater Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 t vanilla
1 t rosewater
3-4 cups confectioner's sugar

Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy and smooth. Blend in vanilla and rosewater and half of sugar. Slowly blend in rest of sugar.