Birthday Cupcakes

This weekend we had my son's second Birthday party at Sunflower Farm. The day was fantastic, the farm and the animals were wonderful, and the cupcakes were super tasty!



Cakes with pink & blue sprinkles were yellow cake with a hint of cherry. Cakes with yellow and green sprinkles were yellow cake with a hint of orange. Chocolate cakes were chocolate orange with a chocolate butter cream. All the cakes were vegan!

Happy April Fools Day!

Once again I let April 1 sneak up on me and so it was not until about 1:30 PM today that I figured out what to do for an annual "prank." I've been waiting for a good opportunity to make bacon cupcakes. Wait! Before you say "Blech!" I'll have you know this particular cupcake flavor that sounds totally disgusting up front, but which have been getting a lot of "press" lately.

So for dinner tonight I served maple walnut bacon cupcakes. The cupcakes were completely vegan, except for the bacon, which I think added to the foolishness of the cupcakes. We ate the cupcakes as a first course that was followed up with savory crepes filled with kale, shitake mushrooms and vegan hollandaise sauce. Beverage of choice for the night was Guinness (Guinness for Breakfast theme) and oddly enough, a bite of maple walnut bacon cupcake, followed by a swig of Guiness was divine. A perfect pairing...

For those of you who are strict vegans, please forgive our transgression in serving bacon with an otherwise vegan dinner. On the otherhand, perhaps you are one of the many (we should start a club) who is vegan (or vegetarian) but still sneaks in a slice of tasty bacon here or there...

In this picture you see at top vegan cupcakes, vegan iced cupcakes, followed by bacon cupcakes on left and vegan ba'cuns cupcakes on right... I have not yet tried the vegan version; however, I can happily report back that the savory fattiness of the bacon was an absolute delight to eat with the rich creamy maple cream cheeze frosting. Yummy indeed! And definitely something you should try when given the opportunity!

Vegan Bailey's and Cream

I generally do not favor rich beverages mixed with alcohol; however, last week I had a craving for Hot Chocoloate that soon turned into a rare craving for Bailey's and Cream. Generally, the word "cream" does not go over well with the vegan and or lactose intolerant crowd. If I was simply a vegan I might have even indulged in the real thing; however, I am severely lactose intolerant, so that was not an option.

Fortunately, with the help of a little full fat coconut milk and my husband's thorough liquor collection I was able to whip up a little vegan Bailey's and Cream with some real Irish Whiskey. As far as I could tell it tasted like the real thing and made even better cupcakes! The frosting is made from a mix of Earth Balance Margarine, Coconut Oil, Confectioner's Sugar, vanilla and almond flavoring. Together it tastes like a Bailey's Cupcake with a light and airy cream cheese frosting.

In the collage you'll note three different decorating styles. The first I thought I'd try and decorate like Irish Lace. The second is the perfect little home for a "shamrock" and the last two are decorated in a more traditional cupcake style.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone!
And may the Luck of the Irish be with you always!

Solaris! Coffee Cupcake

The Solaris Cupcake is best eaten before 10 AM,

but delicious at any time of the day!

Many beautiful cupcakes are guilty of being either overbearingly sweet or deathly bland. The rich ganache and the tender cake of the Solaris are instead tempered by the bittersweet flavor of the candied orange and complimented by the cinnamon spice and orange extract. The resulting flavor of the Solaris neither overwhelms nor bores, but rather each bite of this delectable cupcake gently awakens and satisfies your senses. The cupcake is truly cosmic and absolutely perfect alone or with a rich cup of fresh coffee.

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya!

Any vegans out there getting married? If so this just might be the cupcake for you! I took this recipe from VeganYumYum and adapted it yet again for a coconut lime cupcake. I used coconut oil in the cake instead of canola oil and coconut oil in the frosting instead of non-hydrogenated shortening. Rather than using dark rum I used coconut rum.

The result? Pure coconut decadence with a little touch of the Beach Boys on top. Actually, the beach boys have nothing to do with the cupcake, except that I started humming Kokomo while I was icing the cakes. And, since IMHO the best part is that the frosting could be a cream cheese frosting as it is so rich and creamy I just kept on singing!

Three different versions are shown: Naked: Simple White Piping; and, Wedding Bells!

Bonus picture shows the coconut and Earth Balance butter cream in progress:

Almond Sunset Cupcakes

Sunsets are Mother Nature's own inspirational finger paintings. Living in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains full blown spectacular sunsets are an especially rare and delightful treat. On the occasions in which I am lucky enough to witness one of these magical moments in nature, I am naturally drawn to slow my breathing and be in the moment. Relaxation and beauty both can be found in the magic of a sunset.

In my world sunsets may be rare, but cups of tea are quite common. In fact one of my favorite ways to escape our hectic world and take a moment to slow down is to enjoy a cup of afternoon or after dinner tea. For many years one of my favorite herbal teas has been Almond Sunset Tea by Celestial Seasonings. And so, what could be better than to combine the two into a scrumptious Almond Sunset Cupcake? A tribute to mother nature and the delicate sense of taste enjoyed by the human animal.

To impart the tea flavor I used almond milk, which I infused with Almond Sunset Dessert Tea. I used a mix of chickpea, quinoa and almond flours, in addition to almond extract and agave in the cupcakes. The light pink and gold hues are reminiscent of your classic sunset and were obtained through the use of Nature's Colors by India Tree and a teaspoon of cinnamon. I dressed half of the cupcakes up with cinnamon sticks and sprinkled the rest with cinnamon.

The cupcakes are delicious. Especially the almond vegan-cream and the faint hint of chicory and cinnamon in the cupcakes themselves. I had two for lunch! This was my first time baking gluten free cake (or cupcakes) and although I was pleased with the taste my first try was a little dense. However, because cupcakes are so easy to make I whipped up a second batch with a few recipe adjustments (mostly additional liquid) and they turned out groovy. If I had not made them myself I would never believe them to be gluten free! On a sad note, they do have nuts in them, so I can't share them with my gluten free friend and neighbor, because she is allergic to nuts. Doh!

To replicate this recipe take your favorite yellow cupcake recipe and infuse the milk or other liquid with a few Almond Sunset Teabags. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of almond extract to the batter. And, use almond extract in the place of vanilla in your butter cream!

Amber Waves of Grain

This is a gluten free cupcake made with Amaranth Flour and Honey. The frosting is also made with honey. There is not a grain of gluten or refined sugar in this cake nor a drop of dairy or soy. And yet the flavor is magically, spectacularly, that of Dulce de Leche!