Mommy's Birth Day!!!

10/25/10

Yesterday was my Mommy's birth day!!!!! It was soo fun!!!
The cupcakes (that I made) turned out SO great!!!
I got the recipe from this book:

I just made it my version... A vegan version.... Sorta Kinda A Little!!!

Vegan Red Velvet Cakes
recipe by Jamie Oliver

The cream cheese frosting is a recipe by Martha Stewart and it is not vegan!!!

ingredients:

1/2 stick (1/4 c.) room temp earth balance
1/4 c. stevia
1/4 c. cane sugar
1/4 c. apple sauce
sea salt
1 t. vanilla extract
3 T. beet juice*
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 c. Bob's Gluten Free Flour
1/4 t. xanthan gum
1/2 c. soy milk with 1/2 T. vinegar, set aside and let it curdle
1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. white wine vinegar

frosting:
6 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, at room temp
2 c. powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups
2. Sift together all the flour, cocoa, and xanthan gum
3. With an electric mixer, cream together the earth balance and sugar until fluffy. Add in the apple sauce, pinch of salt, vanilla, beet juice, and the lemon juice
4. Fold in half of the dry ingredients and half of the soy milk mixture. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Mix until it is a red velvety mixture (DO NOT OVER MIX!!! when it is well distributed, STOP mixing!!)
5. In another small bowl, combine and whisk baking soda and vinegar. Add to the batter
6. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter into the paper cups and bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. When finished, let them cool for 5 min in the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. 
7. In another bowl, cream together the cream cheese and the sugar. I recommend you to sift the sugar into the batter!! Cream until light and fluffy.
8. Frost the cupcakes, decorate it, and serve!!!

** The beet juice is used for the coloring of the cakes. Don't worry, it does NOT give you a beet-y taste!
I made mine at home. It's not hard at all if you have a small beet and a blender!
Here's how you make it:

1 small beet, peeled and cubed
water
kitchen towel
blender

1. Blend all until smooth. Use a slash of water to loosen up the puree!
2. Pour the juice on the kitchen towel, which is on top of a bowl to reserve the liquid, and squeeeeeeeze!!!!

So easy right? Good luck!