Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Candyfloss frosting with hundreds and thousands

Cupcakes:

1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence/extract
1/2 teaspoon of some other essence extract (almond, coconut, chocolate, or more vanilla. Whatevs.)
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 175°C. Line ya muffin tray with pretty pretty cupcake liners, or use none and save the universe.

Whisk soy milk and vinegar in a bowl. It will curdle, don't worry, it's suppose to. Set it aside for a few minutes. Once sufficiently gross looking (approx. 3 minutes) add sugar, oil and essences, and beat until foamy.

In another bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour wet into dry in two lots, and mix until there are no large lumps. A few small lumps are OK. The mixture will be quite wet, but that's how we like it, right?

Pour mixture into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until something inserted into the centre comes out clean. I do not recommend any extremities. I generally use a chopstick, because we just don't have toothpicks. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. This step is imperative if you plan on frosting these suckers. Warm cupcakes + frosting = sticky, disastrous mess.

Frosting:

1/2 cup Kremelta
1/2 cup vegan margarine (Again, I use Olivani Lite)
3 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence/extract
1/4 soy milk

Beat Kremelta and margarine together until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until even fluffier. I cannot tell you how important it is that you beat the shit out of this stuff. When you add that soy milk, it's gonna look fucking gross. You have to beat it until your arms are going to drop off. Some of you boys really won't have a problem with this, but for the ladies, you're gonna have to drop shoulder on this shit. The longer you beat it, the lighter (in colour) it gets, and the fluffier it gets.

Add food colouring or whatevs if you want it to look pretty. Obviously this is vanilla frosting. Chuck in some cocoa powder if you want chocolate, or whatever flavoured essence/extract, etc.

Peppermint frosting with Skittles

EDIT: This recipe is from the book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, so credit where credit is due to Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.