Appetite | Vegan cupcakes still a sweet treat

There are so many variations on food restrictions these days, doesn't it seem? Gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan, dairy-free ...

But if you're a person who requires special dietary alterations, finding good recipes is pure gold. This recipe for vegan cupcakes comes to you from The Washington Post and was created by Doran Petersan of Sticky Fingers bakery in D.C. This recipe can also be used to make a two-layer cake. If you're not vegan, I would imagine you can use your normal ingredients, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.

Also, if you're having trouble finding passion fruit concentrate, you can sub it out for mango, guava or peach concentrated, unsweetened.

Vegan Champagne Cupcakes

For the cake

2 3 / 4 cups (13.75 ounces) flour
2 1 / 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 / 2 teaspoon salt
1 2 / 3 cups (11.8 ounces) sugar
1 / 2 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, preferably Earth Balance
2 teaspoons egg replacer, preferably Enger-G
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 / 4 cup soy milk
3 / 4 cup champagne or sparkling white wine
18 to 22 fresh raspberries (from 1 pint)

For the frosting
1 1 / 4 cups non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, preferably Earth Balance
3 / 4 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, preferably Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
1 / 2 cup passion fruit concentrate or puree
3 1 / 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the sugar and margarine in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until softened and combined, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Combine the egg replacer, vanilla extract and soy milk in a small bowl, and stir to dissolve the egg replacer. Add the champagne and mix until combined.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the dry ingredients and soy milk mixture, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Place liners in 18 cupcake wells and fill a generous three-quarters full with the batter. (If you have extra batter, make more cupcakes.) Insert 1 raspberry in the center of each cupcake, making sure the batter covers the top of the berry. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Place the cupcake tins on a cooling rack to cool completely, then invert the tins to remove the cupcakes.

For the frosting: Combine the shortening and margarine in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until completely combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Add the passion fruit concentrate or puree. Reduce the speed to medium and mix until incorporated. Stop to scrape down the bowl, then reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time. When the confectioners’ sugar is incorporated, scrape down the bowl, increase the speed to medium-high and mix for about 2 minutes, until the frosting is uniform and fluffy.

When ready to frost, transfer up to half of the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, or to a resealable plastic food storage bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe a generous layer of frosting onto each cooled cupcake, adding more frosting to the bag as needed.