Vegan German Chocolate Cupcakes

I have a sister-in-law, Missy who is vegan. I know that a lot people think that it is a crazy way to eat, but there are so many delicious things to eat that are vegan and I am true convert when it comes to vegan cupcakes! Missy introduced me to the cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Thanks Missy!).

I think that vegan cupcakes are so much better than the ordinary cupcake. They are so moist and yummy. I usually don't make vegan frosting since I still love a good cream cheese frosting, but this German chocolate frosting is vegan and it is great! The only difference from a normal recipe is that it uses coconut milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. So, give this recipe a try! It will make you all fall in love with vegan cupcakes!!!

Vegan German Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes. Adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

For the Cupcakes:
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350˚F and line muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat till foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat till no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay).

Pour into liners, filling three-quarters of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely.

For the Coconut Pecan Topping:
1/4 cup rice milk
2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1 pinch of salt
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups wide chip unsweetened coconut
1/2 chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

While the cupcakes are cooking:
Whisk the rice milk and starch together in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine the coconut milk and sugar together in a stainless steel saucepan.
Over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, cook the milk and sugar until it starts to boil.

Turn the heat down to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Whisk the rice milk mixture one more time.

Slowly pour the rice milk mixture into the coconut milk mixture stirring constantly.
Continue to stir this until it darkens and gets very thick and smooth, about 7 to 15 minutes (It took closer to 15- 20 minutes for me).

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature before frosting the cupcakes.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

When Bubba and I were living with his sweet grandparents, Grandma Sweetie Pie made this cake for his birthday. It is to die for! If you like bananas and chocolate, you will love this!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Recipe adapted from the World Wide Ward Cookbook.

Cake:
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
4 tbs. sour cream
1 1/2 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. bananas, mashed

Topping:
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/8 C. granulated sugar
1 tbs. cinnamon
1 C. chocolate chips
1 C. nuts, chopped (optional)

Line an angel food cake pan with waxed paper and grease well. (I didn't use the wax paper, but greased the pan well and it cam out just fine.) Cream the sugar, butter and eggs. Combine baking soda and sour cream; stir into butter and sugar mixture. Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well. Stir in vanilla and bananas. Pour half of the batter into pan. Combine Topping ingredients. Sprinkle half of the topping over the batter in pan. Pour remaining batter into the pan and sprinkle with remaining topping. Bake at 325F for 45-60 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick comes out clean. Cool before removing from pan.

Banana Bread-Cake

This has become one of my favorite banana bread recipes. It is really easy to throw together and always turns out great. It has this delicious sugary crust that is irresistible! It doesn't last more than a day or two in my house.

Banana Bread-Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cup flour
1 1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
dash of cinnamon

Mix all of ingredients together starting with the liquids. Then add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

To prepare the bundt cake pan, spray with a cooking spray, then coat the inner edges really well with sugar. This will make a really yummy, sugary, crispy, thin outer layer.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

I know that it has happened to you...it happens to us all. We sometimes have this craving for chocolate and when we do, we have to have it! This happened to me not too long ago and this yummy cake is a result of my chocolate cravings! I new that if I made it for just myself and Bubba, we would eat it all...So we had a bunch of friends over to share it with. This is a big cake so make sure to invite lots of friends! The recipe is delicious and moist. The coffee in it really brings out the chocolate flavor!

Double Chocolate Layer Cake
Adapted from Gourmet.

Ingredients:
3 oz. fine quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup well shaken buttermilk
3/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300F and grease 3 9-inch cake pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer, beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon color (about 3 min with standing mixer or 5 min with a hand mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla and melted chocolate mixture into eggs, beating until well combined. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

4 tbs cocoa powder

4 tbs heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

In a work bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter. Sift the sugar and cocoa powder together and gradually add to the butter, beating well after each addition. Add the cream and vanilla and beat until well blended and fluffy.

Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides.