Happy Birthday Mommy! How's About Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes?

Mommy turns the big 5-0 today.
That's certainly a wonderful excuse to bake, right?
Vegan, sweet, and delicious (perhaps even a little guilt free?), she will have a ball with these frosting-less, tasty treats!

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon distilled apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raspberry preserves (Bonne Maman is the best!)
Polaner's All Fruit Spreadable Raspberry Preserves for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.
Fill the liners almost to the top.
Place into the oven for about 30-33 minutes.
Cool for five minutes.
Spread a thin layer of Polaner's raspberry preserves over each cake.
Serves 12 hungry chocoholics. 

There will be lumpy bits, but that's just the raspberries talking!

Filled all the way to the top, off these go into hot, ready oven.

33 minutes later, voila! They are ready to be cooled.

 Wait! Isn't there one missing?

Why yes! I do believe it's appropriate to sample one. :)

Birthday Mommy enjoyed hers!

And my brothers did as well!

Whew!
A fun, but very exuberant afternoon for all!
Making, baking, and carrying fresh smelling cupcakes on the bus and straight through downtown, wasn't sure if I would make it out with one little treat.
Every stranger wanted a sweet treasure for their own.
But it was Mommy's day once again.
She gets two holidays in a single month.
FYI: Cupcakes super duper moist. May either do 1/3 cup of applesauce or minimize amount of coconut oil.
Either way, not a bad experiment! My first time creating a new recipe and certainly there will be more to come.
Happy birthday Mommy! Half a century now!!!!  :)