RECIPES: Vegan Apple Cupcakes with Vanilla & Chocolate Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I have some family members in Australia who  are Vegans so I am now trying out new recipes, and posting these for them and any other health conscious folks who love great tasting food.


Basic Vegan Cupcake Recipe makes 12-16 depending on size of cupcake pans

1/2 cup vegan margarine softened/room temp.
1 cup sugar (I prefer light brown sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup nut milk plus 2 tbsp
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup grated fresh apple (leave skin on)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or cloves (optional)

Preheat oven 350F and grease cupcake pans ( I avoid using paper cases as the cakes stick)

Cream the sugar and margarine until very light.
Beat in the milk, and vanilla.
In another bowl sift all the dry ingredients together.
Gently combine the flour mix to the wet mix and mix well.
Fold in the freshly grated apple and then fill the cake pans  2/3 full.
bake immediately middle shelf, for 16-18 mins or until they are done ( surfaces is springy to touch).
Remove and cool slightly on pans and remove to cooling rack and frost when cold.


Vegan Vanilla Frosting  makes 3-31/2 cups
In a blender or processor:
1/4 cup nut milk
1/3 cup vegan margarine softened
2tsp vanilla extract
Blend or process until smooth, then add  a mixing bowl ( or process in the machine) .
Blend in 3 - 31/2 cups powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
The frosting will firm up as it settles, so only frost cakes that are cold or it will melt the frosting.

 
 Variations:
Try this frosting drizzled with  Vegan caramel syrup.
or cracked Vegan nut brittle

In place of apples you may add roasted nuts, finely chopped.
or berries again finely chopped.

This is a very good basic Vegan  cupcake/frosting recipe, with lots of variations possible.
If adding any pre-ground spices or cocoa (allow 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa for this recipe) to the frosting cook them for a little time in hot nut milk before adding to the sugar and margarine mix to avoid bacteria in the ground spices.

Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting (you may use any great roasted nut butter of choice)
Makes 3 1/2 cups

3 cups nut butter (creamy mixes better than chunky)
1 1/2 cups Vegan Margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract or almond
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar


This is made in a food processor, do not try this with a hand mixer as it is a stiff frosting to begin with.

Process the nut butter, margarine and flavoring, until smooth and incorporated, then beat in the powdered sugar.
This frosting should be smooth and creamy when completed.
Spread over cold cup cakes or even large cakes.
This is great with a chocolate-banana cupcake ( add 2/3 cup mashed very ripe banana, plus 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the basic cupcake recipe)