Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes

Kitchen Play List: Bing Crosby ~ White Christmas
                                     Nat King Cole ~ The Christmas Song
                                     Dean Martin ~ Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
                                     Peggy Lee ~ Winter Wonderland
                                     

Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes

Ah cupcakes..there is always an excuse to make some, isn't there? I especially like making them when asked to do so for a gathering. And that is exactly what these were made for. My Love's colleagues were having their Christmas office gathering and everyone was asked to bring something and I was asked to make some cupcakes. And there was an extra request that they be chocolate. I always use the same recipe for chocolate cupcakes and it's a no brainer really..I always turn to Isa and Terry's wonderful cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World 

I have never been let down by this recipe..it always delivers and everyone always loves it. Even people who aren't the biggest chocolate cupcake fan (Myself included!) seem to enjoy them. I kept it really simple and made a chocolate topping of icing sugar, cocoa powder and water..I mixed and added until I got my preferred consistency. And then topped them with a simple fondant star with a green ball. That's the Christmasy part..don't ya know! ;o) lol 

I think I inhaled more icing sugar and cocoa powder than I put in the topping..*cough cough* This is why I usually get My Love to mix the icing...lol 

Aren't they pretty? I love stars...lol

Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes Makes 12 
(Recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World/Moskowitz&Romero)

1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp chocolate extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda 
1/3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350'F/180'C/Gas Mark 4 and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla & chocolate extracts to the curdled soya milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add in two batches to the wet ingredients and beat till no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay) 

Pour into liners, filling three quarters of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. 

Could not get this angle right..but wanted to show how they looked in the cupcake caddy and how they were displayed.

Top with a simple cocoa powder, icing sugar and water icing. Then using vegan fondant icing..cut out some stars and press a green ball decoration into the centre and then press down gently on the top of each cupcake. Leave to set. 

Once again a huge Thank You to Isa and Terry for a fantastic recipe and cookbook..~R~

Enjoy! 
~R~