Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World    Publisher: Marlowe & Company © 2006 by Isa Chandra Moskowitz ISBN: 1569242739

Reprinted with permission from the author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes (p. 33)
Makes 12 cupcakes

This multipurpose, no-nonsense cupcake should be in your holster opposite Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake (page 37) if you are considering the rough and tumble life of a cupcake gun-slinger. And they're also nice for birthdays, bake sales and baby showers.

We've included two options for these made with either canola oil or margarine, both resulting in slightly different but yummy cupcakes. Canola oil makes a never-fail cupcake with a slight texture, great with any vanilla-based variation. Margarine can be a little trickier to work with, but the buttery flavor, golden color, and delicate texture it gives cupcakes are worth the effort.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk the soy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside a few minutes to get good and curdled.
3. If using margarine: Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix.
4. In a separate large bowl, use a handheld mixer at medium speed to cream the margarine and sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy, but don't beat past two minutes. Beat in the vanilla and other extract, if using, then alternate beating in the soy milk mixture and dry ingredients, stopping to scrap the sides of the bowl a few times.
5. If using oil: Beat together the soy milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla and other extracts, if using, in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until no large lumps remain.
6. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes till done. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.