To my American friends, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The holiday season is officially here.
Each year this time seems to fly by faster, and I always wish I’d done or tasted more. This year I’m committing to more kitchen adventures and making traditional dishes vegan. For Thanksgiving I made cornbread stuffing (recipe coming soon) and my favorite sweet potato pie. The next day I taught a cooking class where we prepared vegan fried “chicken,” mac & “cheese,” and pecan pie. I also made seitan brisket for a party and a client’s Thanksgiving, plus cherry pie. Today I successfully veganized gingerbread cookies for a nutrition class I taught at a Harlem elementary school. So far the kitchen experiments have been a success.
There are still a few items on my holiday cooking list: seasonal cinnamon rolls, pound cake, candied yams, the best gravy, and gnocchi — yes, gnocchi made the list.
Maybe, if I can get organized, I’ll film a video or two. No promises — video production is harder than it looks.
One treat I wanted to make was apple cider donuts, but I turned them into cupcakes, which turned out brilliantly. These cupcakes are light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. I tested them on over 20 people and they were a hit. The vegan apple cider frosting is excellent too.
Happy holidays!
p.s. I have some upcoming NYC cooking classes! Sign up through my usual channels.
Apple Cider Cupcakes
Jenné Claiborne
15
17
12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, or another dark sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1 tbsp oil (canola or neutral oil)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
APPLE CIDER FROSTING
- 4 tbsp Earth Balance or organic vegetable shortening, slightly softened
- 2 tbsp apple cider
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a donut pan or line a muffin tray with cupcake liners.
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Sift the dry ingredients (flour through salt) into a large bowl.
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In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients from the sugar through vanilla.
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Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined; avoid overmixing.
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Fill the donut pan or muffin tray evenly with batter.
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Bake: 14 minutes for donuts, 17 minutes for cupcakes. Check doneness with a toothpick.
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While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting.
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Place the slightly softened Earth Balance (or shortening) and apple cider in a mixing bowl.
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Whisk vigorously to combine, then gradually add the powdered sugar.
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Continue whisking until the frosting is smooth and lump-free.
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Chill the frosting in the refrigerator until firm, removing it about 10 minutes before you ice the cupcakes.
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Remove cupcakes from the oven and cool completely on a rack for 30–60 minutes.
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Once cool, frost with the apple cider frosting and enjoy.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Loved these apple cider cupcakes? Comment below!