Ummmmm hi guys! I'm putting up a last minute recipe for your valentines because I whipped up these cupcakes for a girls night and they were a hit!
How have you been? Things are going great with me, I just discovered that I'm a HUGE fan of the show Big Brother, and have been enjoying this season of Celebrity Big Brother immensely. Seriously, if you're a fan of reality tv you need to be watching; great gameplay, characters and drammmmaaa.
I've been working on some awesome projects lately, mostly my podcast and recipe development for brands and my blog. I love being back in kitchen, but have been experiencing some crazy writer's block. Do you have any tips for how to get out of that rut?
I've gotta say, Valentine's Day is my most favorite holiday. I know that might seem a little off brand on account of how many times you've heard me say that relationships scare me or how much I enjoy the solitude of my own apartment. BUT Valentine's Day has always been my favorite because it's about loving the people in your life. It's the perfect excuse to wear pink and decorate everything with the tackiest heart shaped decorations, and who doesn't love being told how much they are appreciated and cared for?
Not gonna lie, I just took my popular coconut oil red velvet cake recipe and adapted it to make cupcakes, but this recipe is the best ever, and the vegan cream cheese frosting is to die for. Literally nobody can tell these are vegan. The party that I brought them to on Saturday consisted of more than 3 people telling me how surprisingly moist they were, and also we watched ice skating. No dryness here baby! I baked them in these cute little floral cups cause I couldn't resist and topped 'em with the rose shaped decorations and heart sprinkles, I bought everything at Michael's using my 40% off coupon cause I love pretty things and I can't turn away from a coupon.
That's it for me today, I'll see ya'll soon!
Coconut Oil Red Velvet Cupcakes
Yields about 20 cupcakes
Ingredients
Coconut Oil Red Velvet
- 1 1/2 cup plant based milk
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder ( I used Hershey's special dark)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2/3 cup refined coconut oil, melted but not hot *
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- red food coloring
Vegan Cream Cheese Icing
- 1/2 cup earth balance buttery sticks, room temp **
- 1/2 cup shortening (crisco brand is vegan friendly), room temp
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese (Trader Joe's brand is perfect and it's coconut oil based), room temp ***
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Directions
Combine the plant based milk and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Set aside and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Slowly add in the melted coconut oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, vanilla and the milk mixture. Once combined, add red food coloring in to achieve desired color.
Pour batter into cupcake tin lined with cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
To prepare the icing, combine the butter, shortening and cream cheese before adding in the powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar to get a thicker icing. Frost cake when it's completely cool and enjoy.
Cake will store in an airtight container for about 3 days, and might have to be stored in the fridge to prevent the icing from melting.
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Notes:
* Refined coconut oil won't have a coconutty taste, so it is preferred here. But un-refined will work as well.
** - I highly recommend the buttery sticks, they're formulated so well for baking compared to vegan spreads that come in tubs. (Note: I am not sponsored by Earth Balance, I just really dig their products.)
*** - Make sure to stir it up before mixing it in with the other ingredients. Once it sits at room temperature it tends to separate, but it need to be at room temperature in order to prevent the frosting from having chunks.
