Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes [Review]

While we're on the topic of sweets, why not!? Let me tell you, este momento, these cupcakes are to. die. for. If you're a peanut butter lover. Last fall (when I made the cupcakes and never blogged about it :O) I took these with me everywhere as a "thank-you hostess" gift. They were WELL received EVERY time. I honestly think this one girl thought I was an up-and-coming Food Network star, she was so impressed. But, enough about the flattery, more about these cupcakes. The original recipe can be found here: http://www.neverhomemaker.com/2010/01/vegan-ized-sk-chocolate-peanut-butter.html. This is how I made them (essentially to a T.)


What you'll need for the chocolate cupcakes . . .

• 3 tablespoons applesauce
• 1-1/8 cups soy milk (eyeballed the 1/8)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 cup wheat pastry flour* 
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup unbleached cane sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw brown sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons baking soda

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Insert cupcake liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. Whisk together the applesauce, soy milk, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
4. Cup by cup add the dry ingredients to the liquid ones. Beat well.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the top of the cupcake is rather firm and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Cool and then frost (recipe below).

Frosting . . . (makes about 2.5 cups)

• 5 ounces vegan cream cheese, at room temperature (I used SunnySide Tofutti)
• 2 ounces butter Earth Balance (or other butter substitute), at room temperature
• 2.5 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Skippy Jiff Natural)

Method . . .

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the vegan cream cheese and Earth Balance until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar -- 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. (Doing it 1 cup at a time is VERY important.)
2. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

*I also made these using 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour (so the scaling down would be exact), but I felt the whole wheat taste became overpowering. I much preferred using a 1:1 ratio in terms of the flours.

Overall, I scaled the recipe in half because there are only two people living in my house and heaven knows we don't ginormous batch of cupcakes sitting around. As I said before, these cupcakes are top of the line. Definitely five stars. Especially if you want something to carry with you as you visit someone else. I didn't make the chocolate drizzle topping as Ashley did when she made them, but I also did not miss it. When I really get my life together, I will 100% make these the semi-vegan way Ashley did. I have no doubt they are delicious however you make them. Salud!