Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, Act Three

This was my third batch of cupcakes, as the title suggests, from the cookbook "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World." I was so excited that my experiments one and two turned out so well that I was thrilled for a personal audience for my third batch. Instead of titling this blog "attempt three" or "take three," I have decided to more appropriately call it "act three." Attempt and take suggest that the others had been less than successful. Not so.

Anyways.....

Our friends Craig and Rebecca, also known as CraiBecca, were coming over for dinner and I wanted a special dessert. We take turns hosting dinner and every meal we have shared over the years has been delicious. They are both wonderful chefs and we have a lot to live up to each time. Based on their rave reviews of our meals, I think John and I, also known as JoManda, have done well.

On this occasion, we decided to make a salad, lentil and black bean chili, and vegan whole wheat biscuits. Although it was winter, the meal had an autumn feel and I wanted a sweet to match. I went in search of a cupcake and icing combination that would pair well. I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing and knew I had found my seet. The recipe was so enticing, even without a picture.

The recipe had pumpkin, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and a simple cinnamon icing that was to be drizzled on the top. My mouth started watering as soon as I read the recipe. This combination of flavors sounded perfect. I love the taste of pumpkin and am always looking for ways to use it. In the past, my uses have been mostly savory dinner dishes. This new use of pumpkin would be a nice change.

I set out to find canned pumpkin and came across an organic variety. The price was comparable to the regular canned pumpkin, so this one was a no brainer. I also picked up vegan chocolate chips. I had all of the other ingredients on hand.


As I mixed all of the ingredients, I wanted to eat the batter raw. (As I have mentioned before, vegan batter can be consumed raw since it does not include eggs. Yippie for me!). After the cupcakes were in the oven baking, I scooped around the sides with a spatula and ate every little drop that was left. The raw batter was amazing, I could hardly wait for the finished product!


Once the cupcakes were out of the oven and cooled, I drizzled the cinnamon icing on top. We decided to share a cupcake before serving them to Craibecca. As we expected, they were heavenly! This was by far my most favorite cupcake to date! The pumpkin, chocolate, and cinnamon flavor worked so well together. Craibecca enjoyed them as well. Rebecca and I each enjoyed one cupcake for dessert and John and Craig both had two.


Verdict: Attempt three is a WINNER!!