vegan lemon cupcakes

My favourite season is finally here: summer, yay! The season of long and warm days and short nights, bright blue skies, hot weather, cold ice cream and just enjoying and relaxing.. It's been a looong wait but now I can just chill and take it easy. 

The last few days have been super hot. I've been at the dog park at 8.30 am before it's too hot for our puppy to be outside for long. What a better way to start your day that seeing your best friend enjoy when you throw the ball and just lounging in the grass. And when we get home he usually sleeps on the floor (when not chewing his favourite shoe) while I browse different recipes on the internet.

This time I chose to make lemon cupcakes with buttercream frosting. And since I'm very interested in vegan baking, I made these cupcakes totally vegan. The recipe is very quick and easy to make. If you want the cupcakes to be very lemony, use two lemons. The combination of sour cupcake with sweet a buttercream is delicious, but if you are unsure about the taste use only one lemon.

The buttercream is made of margarine and it tastes different than using butter. If the buttercream is too sweet, add a pinch of salt or lemon juice. 

This recipe makes about 12 cupcakes.

The recipe:

185g/1.5 cups flour
0,5 tsp. baking soda
0,5 tsp. baking powder
1,5 dl/3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 dl/ 0.3 cup vegetable oil
1 dl/0.5 cup soy yogurt
1,5 dl/0.7 cup soy milk
1-2 lemon zest and juice

1. Preheat the oven to 175c/350F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then all the wet ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients little by little, but avoid overmixing.
4. Fill the liners about two-thirds full and bake about 18-20 minutes.
5. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and place on a wire cooling rack.

For the buttercream frosting:

110g/0.5 cup margarine (room temperature)
300g/2.3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp soy milk

1. Cream margarine until it's lighter and fluffier. Add powdered sugar. If your sugar is very lumpy you should shift       it. Start with a low speed, then gradually increase the speed.
2. Add vanilla and soy milk. 
3. Beat until white and fluffy. Remember to taste your buttercream that it's perfect :)

Happy baking!

chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting, sounds good right? If you like chocolate you will love these cupcakes. They are rich in chocolate flavour without being too sweet. And with the frosting...yum yum!! 

To get the best results use room temperature ingredients.

The recipe makes about 7-8 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 egg

90g / 1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

100g / 3/4 all purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

50g / 1/4 cup chocolate chips/ chopped chocolate

1/2 dl / 1/4 cup milk

1/2 dl / 1/4 cup oil

The recipe:

1. Preheat your oven to 220c/400F. Line your muffin pan with paper liners.

2. Mix together the egg and sugar until it's pale yellow and thick.

3. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Chop the chocolate and measure the liquid ingredients together.

4. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the liquid and mix carefully. Repeat until all is gone.

5. Lastly add the chocolate and fill the liners about 3/4 full and bake about 13-15 minutes.

Cream cheese frosting:

100g /3.5 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

40g melted butter

2 tbsp cocoa powder

230g / 1 cup icing sugar

Measure all the ingredients in a bowl and mix for a few minutes until it's smooth. If the frosting is too liquid add more icing sugar but be careful with the taste.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled, decorate with the frosting.

Happy baking!

redcurrant muffins

    Hi everyone!

It's been a super busy last month and I haven't been much at home. And that is why I haven't been able to update my blog as often as I would have wanted. But I'm not complaining, it's been a great summer! We went on holiday to UK's Lake District, what an amazing place! Definitely going back there someday, hopefully next summer :)

But now I'm back and ready to hit the kitchen with my awesome new ideas. The berry season is here and I have lots and lots of redcurrants. I'll have to check the blackcurrants and gooseberries, but at least redcurrants grew beautifully this year.

These muffins get their sweetness from white chocolate, but if you want to leave that out, just add more sugar, perhaps to 240g/1.2 cup.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
170g/3/4 cup sugar
200g/1.6 cup all purpose flour
2 tspn vanilla extract
2 1/2 tspn baking powder
3/4 tspn salt
150g / 1 cup redcurrants
100g/ 1 cup white chocolate
1 dl/0.4 cup milk
1 dl/0.4 cup vegetable oil

The recipe:

1. Preheat your oven to 200c/400F and line your muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Mix together eggs and sugar until it's pale yellow and thick.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Chop the white chocolate.
4. Measure the milk, oil and vanilla extract together.
5. When the eggs and sugar mixture is ready shift the dry ingredients carefully. Take turns with the liquid                   ingredients.
6. Add chocolate and berries and mix very carefully so that the mixture stays airy and we get light
    muffins.
7. Fill the liners 3/4 full and bake about 15-20 minutes.

To get the best results, use room temperature ingredients. 

Happy baking!