Free Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Terry Romero Isa Moskowitz Sara Quin

Jimbles; he loves the coconut, chocolate, coffee combination and wanted us to call them ChoCofCos. We declined the title but obliged with these little bites of heaven. This batter is a little thicker than most cake batters so don’t panic and think you did something wrong.
     
     
    INGREDIENTS
    1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup coconut oil
1 cup coconut milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon coconut extract
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
TOASTED COCONUT (recipe below)
COFFEE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (recipe
below)
Chocolate-covered coffee beans,
optional
    DIRECTIONS
    1. Preheat oven to 350°F, line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
    2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
    3. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over very low heat. Once melted, turn the heat off but leave it in the pan on the stove so that it stays warm and does not solidify.
    4. In a separate medium bowl mix together coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, and coconut extract. Stir in the melted coconut oil. Add the flour mixture in batches, beating well after each addition. Mix until smooth, then fold in the shredded coconut.
    5. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full. Bake for 24 to 26 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
    TO ASSEMBLE:
    1. Spread a generous amount of Coffee Buttercream Frosting on cooled cupcakes. Roll the frosted cupcake along its rim in the Toasted Coconut to create a ring around the circumference.
    2. Add chocolate-covered coffee beans or coffee lentils to the center to decorate if you wish.
    TOASTED COCONUT
    ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
    DIRECTIONS
    1. Preheat a small frying pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
    2. Pourthe coconut into the pan, to stir constantly with a spatula. The coconut will begin to turn honey brown. Keep stirring and tossing for about 1½ minutes to get all the coconut evenly toasted. Turn off the heat and keep stirring and tossing for 30 seconds more. Once uniformly toasted, transfer to a plate and spread out to cool.
    COFFEE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
    ¼ cup nonhydrogenated shortening
¼ cup nonhydrogenated margarine,
softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons coconut milk or soy
milk
1½ teaspoons coffee extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    DIRECTIONS
    1. Beat the shortening and margarine together until combined well and fluffy. Alternately add the sugar and coconut milk to the shortening mixture, beating well after each addition. Add the coffee extract and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with a handheld mixer on low-medium speed, or 5 to 7 minutes ifyou’re using a fork. Refrigerate until ready to use.

APRICOT -GLAZED ALMOND CUPCAKES
MAKES 12 CUPCAKES
    THESE MIGHT BE overshadowed by the more “foofy” cupcakes in the book, but don’t pass them up, they are rich, fragrant, and sophisticated. The sweet apricot preserve filling is baked right into the cake, which is rich and moist with almond goodness. It’s then glazed with apricot and decorated with sliced almonds. Classy.
     
     
    INGREDIENTS
    1/3 cup canola oil
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup soy yogurt
2/3 cup almond milk, soy milk, or
rice milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup apricot preserves
    For the glaze:
    ½ cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup sliced almonds
    DIRECTIONS
    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
    2. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, yogurt, almond milk, vanilla, and almond extract.
    3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until the batter is smooth. Add the almond meal and mix to combine.
    4. Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full. Using a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon, add apricot preserves to the center of each cupcake. Tap lightly on the preserves to get them mostly level