Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Wow! How slack! Over two months between posts!

It's not like I haven't got anything to share with you - it's finding the time!!!

Anyway, this one's worth waiting for!

We were invited to attend a home school park day meet up that included celebrating an 11th (i think!) birthday.
On a private chat, I spoke with the mum of the birthday girl (also a friend) about the celebration. It went something like this:

Friend: There'll be cake!!
Me: Vegan??
Friend: Vegan cake?
Friend: NO EGGS????
Me: Yup!
Friend: NO MILK???
Me: Nut milk!

Clearly, I believed my friend could not grasp such a concept! But I was up to the challenge! I made Triple Chocolate Cupcakes from Vegan Lunch Box AND BLEW THEM AWAY!!!!

The cupcakes are moist and delicious. My friend's comment was 'I can not believe there are no eggs in this'.
Other people tried them and were also impressed. So much so, I promised to write this post and blog the recipe.
Here it is! Try it!

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 24

3C all purpose flour
1/2C cocoa powder
2t baking soda
1t salt
1C sugar
1C packed brown sugar
2C water
1C canola oil
1T vanilla
3/4-1C vegan choc chips (optional - I did not use these)

Preheat oven to 180C. Spray 24 muffin cups/cupcake liners with non stick spray.
Sift the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add sugar and brown sugar, water, oil, vanilla. Mix with electric beater until well combined and smooth.
Divide batter evenly between the 24 muffin cups (about 1/4C each). Sprinkle the top of each cupcake with some chocolate chips (opt).
Bake 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting with Chocolate Vegan Buttercream.

To make a cake: divided the batter between 2 9-inch round cake pans that have been sprayed with non stick spray. sprinkle each layer with half the chocolate chips (opt). Bake at 180C for 40 minutes. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Vegan Buttercream
(makes perfect amount for 24 cupcakes or the cake option)

3C icing sugar
1/2C cocoa powder
1/2C marg
3 1/2 -4 T rice milk
1 1/2t vanilla

Sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add marg, milk and vanilla and beat well with an electric mixer until frosting is smooth.

Just try to stop yourself from eating toooo many!

Tahn

Twenty Eleven Resolutions

Wow, it's been a while! 


After much thought I've come up with 4 resolutions I want to work on in 2011.

Avoid consumerism for the whole year.
I'm not sure how I will go here, buying second hand and freebees all allowed, but being addicted to books....(I have purchased a kindle, so I'll try downloading and reading the free ones this year) I have allowed only ONE unnecessary purchase per month, if I need it, so I REALLY have to think about it!
I also have some great ideas regarding birthdays and xmas under this resolution too! No 'STUFF'!!

Avoid refined sugar 
Nuff said!

Return to raw food living
Not to be anal about it though - raw breakfast and lunch, plus part raw dinner should do it.
I did this for 6 weeks last year and the weight just fell off me and I felt FANTASTIC!!!!
Considering that I have just purchased (Dec) 3 new raw books (waiting for arrival) I want to try at least one new raw recipe and blog about it. (I've done one tonight! Blog post and pics coming soon)

Return to a healthy weight and love my body
I think the above two resolutions will definitely help me with this one.

I really really hope this year is WAY better than last year for me!

Rock on 2011!