Aileen Rosales

Your Basic Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes

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I can’t get enough of this chocolate vegan cupcake recipe and the same goes for my friends! And, yes. These cupcakes are vegan. I found this recipe in a vegan cupcake cookbook I received and this is one of my favorites so far, considering I’ve only made 2 kinds of cupcakes from it. What I love about these cupcakes is that it is so simple to make. Just thinking about these cupcakes are making me crave one right this second! These are so moist, light, and healthy compared to the regular chocolate cupcakes.  If you’re looking for a dessert that won’t hurt your waist line, then this is it. This guilty free dessert will satisfy any sweet tooth craving.

Chocolate vegan cupcakes

(Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup soy milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  2. Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
  3. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
  4. Add sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy.
  5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat till no large lumps remain (tiny lumps are okay).
  6. Pour batter into cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. (Use toothpick method – until center comes out clean) Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely.
  7. Frost cupcakes, serve, & enjoy!

Chocolate cream cheese frosting

  • 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (softened)
  • 1 8oz of vegan cream cheese, softened (Tofutti)
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar sifted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (depending how rich you want it)

Easy Homemade Nachos

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Yum. The title says it all! I just made these for dinner last night and they were probably some of the best nachos I’ve had! I know it’s not the healthiest thing to make, but once you have some of these nachos, they are really addicting! I also love that these nachos are to quick and super easy to make. 🙂

Super easy homemade nachos

(Serves 4-6 people)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • salt
  • pepper
  • Triangular Tortilla chips
  • 1 can (vegetarian) refried beans
  • 1/2 cup of black beans
  • 4.5-oz. can diced green chilies
  •  Mexican blend cheese
  • 2 tbs of sour cream (topping)
  • Guacamole (topping)
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cook one cup of onion in a skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Layer tortilla chips in a lightly greased 13″x9″ baking dish; top with beans, beef mixture, green chilies. Sprinkle as much cheese as you want.
  4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with guacamole (as desired), sour cream, olives and green onions. Serve with additional tortilla chips.

Red velvet cupcakes

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Now this cupcake is my absolute favorite flavor hands down. I’m not sure why I find this cupcake so much more exciting and delicious than the other flavors, but it is definitely a winner in my book. I’ve made these cupcakes for my speech class and even people who hate red velvet cupcakes ended up asking for seconds. The recipe is that good. Don’t believe me? Ask them. 🙂

If you wanted, you could also just make this into a cake. 🙂 Whatever you choose to make, either option is super yummy!

Mini red velvet cupcakes

Red velvet cake

(Yield: Makes 24 regular or 48 mini cupcakes)

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
  • 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  2. In a large bowl, combine together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
  3. Using a standing (or hand) mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
  4. Pour batter into the cupcake liners accordingly. Use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop the batter into cupcake pain. This makes sure you will have the same amount of batter for each cupcake.
  5. Bake cupcakes for about 14-15 minutes. (If you make mini cupcakes, bake for 10 minutes.) To ensure the cupcakes are completely done, use toothpick method. (Stick a toothpick in the center of one of the cupcakes. Toothpick should come out clean.)

Cream cheese frosting

  • 1 package of cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/4 cup of unsalted butter (1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons) , softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Next, you’ll want to add in the powdered sugar. Mix well until everything looks smooth and until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Last but not least, frost cupcakes, serve, and enjoy! 🙂