Omnivore-Approved Chocolate Cupcakes

Hello world! I'm back: back in New York, back in the blogosphere, and back in the kitchen! Being unable to cook or bake for two and a half months this summer was brutal - but I love my job and adore escaping to the middle of nowhere in Maine, so it's worth it, even for a foodie like me.

When I came home I found myself making really basic things to eat - salads with bottled dressing for lunch, crispy tofu when I was feeling uninspired, and peanut butter sandwiches when I didn't feel like doing much. I think I actually had to remind myself that I loved to cook and bake!

So, there I was, seeking out more recipes online, making longer and longer Whole Foods lists, and perusing cookbooks at the public library. And then I remembered that it was going to be my roommate's birthday and BAM! I was in the kitchen and donning my apron like I had never left. Both roommates came home to the smell of chocolate cake wafting through our apartment and an extra tub of frosting sitting in our freezer. There are worse ways to spend a Friday night, right?

The birthday girl didn't have any crazy requests, so I decided to whip together something that we would all enjoy: chocolate and peanut butter. Because let's get real: who doesn't love this sweet and salty combination?!

These cupcakes are sheer perfection. Time and time again I've turned to this recipe when I need a dose of chocolate, or when I'm slightly weary of serving baked goods to people who expect the familiar tastes of cholesterol-laden Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. You see, I can accept that my taste buds have grown accustomed to substituting almond milk for cow's milk, Earth Balance for butter, and flax seeds for eggs, but it can be difficult for some people to see beyond the ingredients they think they are missing when they're eating vegan treats. Let me tell you – these cupcakes definitely don't have that problem! People are too busy devouring these beauties to even miss those unneeded ingredients.

I've made this chocolate cupcake for friends and family, and it's a personal favorite of mine, but until this recipe I hadn't experimented with very many types of vegan frosting. While I usually turn to the reliable chocolate ganache topping, I decided to try something new and turned to one of my old, pre-vegan favorites – cream cheese frosting. It is my belief that there are two types of people in this world: cupcake people or frosting people. I am definitely a cupcake person, and believe that there shouldn't be a huge glob of frosting on top to distract from the main event, however, you always need a little something to bring in a new flavor or enhance the cake aspect. I'm a huge fan of this frosting because it balances out all the sugar (and there's a lot!) with the tartness of vegan cream cheese and slight saltiness of peanut butter. Yummmm!

Before you get going on the cake, you should probably make the frosting first so as to let it chill in the fridge or freezer while you're baking. This firms it up to a perfect consistency when it's time to put it all together.

Peanut Butter Heaven (or peanut butter “cream cheese” frosting)

6 oz vegan cream cheese (I used Go Veggie! brand)

3 tablespoons peanut butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ cup confectioner's sugar

• With a hand mixer, cream the vegan cream cheese and peanut butter in a large bowl.
• Slowly add the confectioner's sugar ¼ cup at a time until it is fully incorporated.
• When everything is properly mixed, stir in the vanilla extract.
• Place in the fridge (or freezer if you're short on time) to chill!

Omnivore-Approved Chocolate Cupcakes

(This recipe makes 12-14 cupcakes, depending on how much batter you want to eat. My recommendation? Make 12 cupcakes and spoon the rest of the chocolately goodness straight into your mouth as you smell these babies baking away in the oven. This method was roommate-tested, Brenna-approved.)

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup cold coffee

½ cup canola oil

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease your cupcake tins. Blah blah blah.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: coffee, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
• Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until combined.
• Fill the cupcake tins about 2/3 full with batter and bake for 16-18 minutes

When the cupcakes have cooled, spoon the frosting into your pastry bag and go to town! With the help of my handy roommate-assistant, I topped these beauties with tiny semisweet chocolate chips (courtesy of Enjoy Life) and subsequently devoured them in the name of birthday celebrations! 

Now that I've caught the baking bug again, what am I going to make next week?!