Raspberry & Almond Vegan Cupcakes with Lemon Icing
Made this week on vacation at Edisto Island outside Charleston, South Carolina. The summer heat called for something nice and light..
Cupcakes: (makes 12 vegan cupcakes)
— 2/3 cup soy, rice, or almond milk
— 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
— 3/4 cup sugar
— 1/3 cup canola oil
— 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
— 2 tsp almond extract
— 1 tsp vanilla extract
— 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
— 1/3 cup unsalted almonds
— 3/4 tsp baking soda
— 1/2 tsp baking powder
— 1/4 tsp salt
- Heat oven to 350° F.
- Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the milk and vinegar together until frothy. Add the sugar, oil, almond and vanilla extracts.
- Mash the raspberries and add to the milk mixture.
- Place the unsalted almonds in a food processor and blend into a fine meal. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sift into the liquid mixture and stir by hand until all the ingredients are combined.
- Fold in the almond meal.
- Fill the cupcake liners until 3/4 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, and set aside to cool for 5 mins.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Lemon Icing:
— 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
— 2 tablespoons lemon zest
— 2 tablespoons lemon juice
— 2 tsp vanilla extract
— 3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- In a medium bowl, soften and cream the margarine.
- Using an electric mixer, mix in the zest, juice, and vanilla.
- Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time, mixing on high for 5-10 minutes until the butter cream is light and fluffy. Add additional powdered sugar or fruit to adjust the consistency as needed.
- Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Decorate with whole fresh raspberries, grated lemon peel, or sliced almonds. Perfectly accompanied by a tall glass of pink lemonade on a hot summer evening.
