Orange Cupcakes With Orange Icing

Yummy orange on orange cupcakes.

As summer winds down, fruit is a great way to quench neverending thirst. Water is the best way of course, but fresh pineapple, juicy grapes, and plump strawberries revitalize the system with sweet pleasure and aide in that beautiful, radiant glow to skin. Whilst drinking a tall glass of orange juice, I suddenly craved cupcakes with that delicious citrus flavor and found this recipe on Kelly's The Pretty Bee Blog.
The icing has a funny story. I blended my ingredients together. First it became whipped cream. I was so excited-- over the moon. Yes! I made orange whipped cream! Unfortunately, due to the room temperature and other random science, the cream turned clear, thick liquid. After the cupcakes cooled, I ate them with that icing. Funnily enough, in the refrigerator, the icing thickened and turned snowy white and suddenly I fell in love with this accidental orange tasting sweetness on top of orange tasting sweetness.

Orange Cupcakes With Orange Icing Ingredients and Preparation

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dairy free milk
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoon orange juice (used Tropicana)

Frosting

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoon orange juice
3 tablespoon dairy free milk

Preheat oven to 359 degrees.
Mix all cupcake ingredients together.

Batter is completely mixed.

Fill baking cups and bake for 20-25 minutes. Prepare the icing: blend sugar, coconut oil, orange juice, and dairy free milk together. 

The clear icing version....

It's like orange syrup.

Refrigerated frosting, however, is the best.

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Cupcakes so good that frosting isn't required!

The trip to Grenada is next week and added GoFundMe perks include a taste of the upcoming summer side chocolate business-- Brownie Girl on a Bike (more info to come soon). In a few days, we're filming a fun kitchen segment. I'll be sure to post that up with the next blog update.
In celebration, starting things off with chocolaty reminders. First, I made chocolate cupcakes with three high-speed-blackening-rate bananas. It was either freeze for future smoothies, n "ice" creams, or banana bread or creating fabulous, irresistibly delicious chocolate cupcakes. By choosing the latter, the bananas amp up flavor profile and moisten up the perfect sweet treat.

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (used Equal Exchange Fair Trade Organic Baking Cocoa)
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, ripened
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 12 dozen muffin tin with paper liners.
Mix flour, cocoa powder, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
In a blender, combine bananas, almond milk, vanilla, and coconut oil.
Stir wet into dry ingredients until even and smooth.
Pour batter into liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Before and....

After.

Cute and chilled in the fridge.

The last one-- the fork tested cupcake.

Vegan Sunshiny Lemonade Cupcakes

Yummy Lemonade Cupcakes wanting to make acquaintance.

Hello all!
It's been a little hiatus, but AfroVeganChick is back and ready to pump out more dynamite vegan recipes! Very yummy surprises coming to bring delightful joys to meal time blues, especially today's cupcakes radiant with tasty, sweet yellow sunshine.
A few weeks ago for Ma's birthday, I planned lemonade cupcakes for my lemon addicted parent and found beautiful inspiration by Sweet Vegan- unique Pink Lemonade Cupcakes here. We had a lovely time eating these treats during our Roswell (yes, that circa 1999 WB TV series) marathon and it still baffles Ma that no cows were harmed for her 51st celebration on earth. Heehee!
As for candied lemons (the perfect sugared confectionery topping)- thank you, Martha Stewart for this simple recipe- absolutely brilliant!

Vegan Sunshiny Lemonade Cupcakes Ingredients and Preparation

2 1/2 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 ripened banana, mashed*
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup lemonade (used Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
zest from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

*FYI: Banana flavor is barely detectable due to an abundant lemon overload. After all, it's supposed to hog all the spotlight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin with either baking cups or lightly oil/flour.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt together. Blend mashed banana, almond milk, lemonade, and lemon juice separately.

After combining dry with wet, stir in lemon zest and apple cider vinegar.

Pour into muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Carefully pop these babies out.

Let cool.

Frosting

1 cup coconut oil
3/4 powdered sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice

Whip ingredients together and refrigerate.
Spread on cooled cupcakes.  

Candied Lemon Slices

boiling water
1 lemon
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Slice lemons and remove seeds/rind ends.
Bring water to a boil. 
Turn off heat and add lemon slices, stirring until softened- 1 minute.
Drain.
Bring sugar and water to a boil.
Add lemon slices in a single layer and simmer for an hour.
Drain again.
Place them on parchment paper and refrigerate.

All ready and pretty for Ma.

Vegan Ginger Orange Coconut Cupcakes

Mmmmhmmm. Bliss.

I don't eat oranges themselves, not a fan of peeling, of the rind and pulp, but I love a good cup of Tropicana in the morning. This idea stemmed from drinking that sweet morning sunshine and that long ago Thistle catered art event that featured delicious vegan orange bliss cupcakes that still tongue dance in dreams.
Of course, the thought of citrus happiness blended with spicy ginger and yummy coconut made my mouth water in anticipation.

Vegan Ginger Orange Coconut Cupcake Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup plain soy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes
pinch of salt

Orange Glaze

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ginger

additional coconut for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper cups.

Blend ingredients well.

Add shredded coconut.

Pour batter into baking cups and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Mix the glaze ingredients while waiting.

All ready!

Ta da! Covered w/ glaze, coconut, and a smidgeon of ginger, this cupcake awaits!

A bit sticky, but I love it!
These cupcakes are very light, not too sweet, and moist, with the sugary glaze adding a slight crunch effect alongside the coconut texture and that doesn't make me regret not adding walnuts or almonds to the batter. Orange flavor is present, but may need to add more orange juice and less milk next time.
Overall, a good cake.
And funnily enough someone stole my homemade baked treats, leaving a most cryptic note,"yum! Took 2. Thanks."
Haha! The nerve of some people...
As I slowly appreciated and devoured cupcakes, (pinky swear only had 2), I couldn't help but think about doughnuts. With a little yeast, orange extract (or liquor), and zest, these yummy, scrumptious cupcakes can be transformed into the perfect orange doughnuts!
Plus, they taste amazing with or without the glaze- which be a little tooooooo sugary to some.
So I guess it's up to me to create these orange doughnuts, huh? ;)

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!!!!  :)

Yummy Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

Sweet, moist, and delicious, these babies didn't need any frosting!
This recipe is inspired by this site http://danicasdaily.com/vegan-carrot-cupcake-wcream-cheese-frosting-the-recipe and a long ago visit to Kick Ass Cupcakes in Boston, Massachusetts where they served a very citrus-y vegan carrot cupcake that tastes almost similar to this!

Enjoy! :D

1 medium ripe banana
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 ½ cups shredded carrots
1 ¼ cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts (roast for 7 minutes!)

Combine all wet ingredients separately.
Add in flour mixture.
Fold in raisins and walnuts.
Pour 1/4 into 12 paper baking cups.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes. 
Cool and eat!

Silly me, I completely forgot to photograph the final product!
They're all gone right now!!!!!!