Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

[Penny]

I tend to put in LOTS more icing sugar (confectioners' sugar) than the recipe says. Then I put it in a plastic syringe (specially made for icing - not a medical one! :)) which I find much easier to use than a bag.

I did a cupcake stall at a local green fair last weekend for Scottish Vegans. I made gingerbread with lemon cream cheese icing (frosting); pistachio and rosewater; cashew and cardamom; and peanut butter. They sold very well and I got an e-mail from a customer saying they were 'stunningly delicious'! I don't take the credit. That goes to our wonderful 'cupcake bible'... (DH doesn't accept that. He thinks it's my skill! ;))

Once I can figure out how to post pics properly, I'll show some. The plastic syringe make lovely swirly icing patterns, which I don't use for chocolate icing, for reasons that will be obvious to anyone of a scatalogical turn of mind..... ;)

Penny

[Maisiepaisie]

I just went to Tesco for canola oil but they had none :mad: Has anyone tried the recipes with sunflower oil instead? If so how were they. I've a feeling that canola oil may be the magic ingredient though.

[Poison Ivy]

I use sunflower, it's fine...no problems at all.:)

Isn't Canola Oil just Rapeseed Oil over here???

...and Penny, I know exactly what you mean about the swirly chocolate frosting;):D

[Maisiepaisie]

Isn't Canola Oil just Rapeseed Oil over here???
I just googled it and your absolutely right. Wish I'd known that before and I could have got rapeseed. Normally I buy Carotino red palm and canola oil from Asda and that makes really nice cakes but I'll have a go with the sunflower oil.

[Penny]

Isn't Canola Oil just Rapeseed Oil over here???

It is, and usually I find that although it's labelled 'vegetable oil', if you check the ingredients box, it's rapeseed oil. I use Sainsbury's Organic Vegetable Oil for my baking, and that says it's rapeseed oil...

Penny

[Penny]

...and Penny, I know exactly what you mean about the swirly chocolate frosting;):D

Yes, I tried the brown swirls once, looked at them and thought, 'Oh, no. I don't think so! NOT a good idea....' !!! :D

Penny

[sandra]

I just went to Tesco for canola oil but they had none :mad: Has anyone tried the recipes with sunflower oil instead? If so how were they. I've a feeling that canola oil may be the magic ingredient though.

Yes, I was in Tesco looking for that yesterday and couldn't find it.
Also powdered agar...........couldn't find it either! :(

[Penny]

Yes, I was in Tesco looking for that yesterday and couldn't find it.
Also powdered agar...........couldn't find it either! :(

See above, Sandra! Sainsbury's vegetable oil is the answer! Do you have a Sainsbury's near you? I haven't checked Tesco's veg. oil, but it's probably the same.

Would Veggiegel (or whatever it's called) do instead of the powdered agar? A health food shop is the best bet for that.

Penny

[sandra]

Thanks Penny! :)
I'll try the Sainsbury's veg oil and I know I can get the veggiegel stuff..........I didn't know it was a substitute for agar.........thank you! :)
I'm all excited.......my daughter just got the Vegan cupcakes take over the world book and we can't wait to try out all the recipes! :)

[Penny]

It's a great thing to share with your daughter, Sandra! My daughter, Jane, and I are working our way through the book and we've got a new young friend coming over next week to have a cupcake-making session. Obsessed? Moi? But... losing weight? Moi? Non!!! :(

Penny

[sandra]

:D That sounds like fun Penny!
Yes, I'm really looking forward to trying out all the delicious recipes, Emma (my daughter) wants to make the first lot herself so I'll just stand back and let her get on with it! :)
(I'll have to sample them of course, just to make sure they are as delicious as they look! ;):D)

[Kitteh]

I followed the recipe exactly (usually I dont'). I used the soymilk instead of soy creamer which the recipe said you could do. Does anyone know if this could be why my frosting wasn't firm? I even added quite a bit of extra confectionaire's sugar and put it in the fridge for awhile but it didn't help.

Did you let the shortening cool and have the vegan marg. at room temp? Sometimes if I am impatient and mix it together too quickly the icing isn't as firm as it should be.

[veganwitch]

Kitteh,
I used Spectrum solid shortening which is kept at room temperature (it's like the vegan version of Crisco). The recipe didn't call for any margarine (I just double checked it) ??

[Maisiepaisie]

Its not a good idea for me to have lots of cupcakes in the house. I've ruined my diet now. I'm not sure whether to be pleased or annoyed that my son has just polished off the last 6 cupcakes in one go!

[rantipole]

I just went to Tesco for canola oil but they had none :mad: Has anyone tried the recipes with sunflower oil instead? If so how were they. I've a feeling that canola oil may be the magic ingredient though.

I ran out of canola when making cupcakes once and used peanut oil. You really couldn't tell the difference.

I made the coconut lime cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes with raspberry buttercream icing. Both were completely delicious. The coconut lime ones are probably my favorites of the ones I've tried so far.

Cheers,
rant

[ney]

Oh my goodness, I love this book. I love making cupcakes and sharing them. I always add a bit more apple cider vinegar than the recipe calls for because it makes them delightfully flluffy. :D
For some reason, I can never get the chocolate buttercream to work...

[RubyDuby]

I was always told corn oil is best for baking, but never could tell a difference between oils... in baking anyway.

[lily80]

I love this book too, almost all of the recipes I have tried have been awesome. Haven't made any in months though cause I don't really having any baking stuff where I live at the moment, I have a big craving for the apricot-almond ones, mmmm.

[sandra]

Me and my daughter (well actually my daughter did all the work, I looked on! :o) made some chocolatey, with coffee creamy stuff in the middle buns from that book yesterday. They are nearly all gone and now I have a bit of a stomach ache............I think I've ate too many!:(

[cedarblue]

i was looking back over the july edition of waitrose food illustrated magazine yesterday & they have a page with books of the month......in the 'shelves of shame' section was vctotw!!:(

the print read;

"the litmus test for owning too many cookbooks? a vegan up cakes slot on your shelf. of course, omnivores will concede that vegans shouldn't miss out but surely 75 recipes for dairy- & egg-free fairy cakes is 74 more than is necessary? then again,'total cupcake domination' is the authors' aim. consider yourselves warned."

yes, thats right, no end of cake recipes for everyone else but we are only allowed one basic recipe to add any variations..... :mad:

[vava]

shameful - the author is prob married to an egg/ dairy farmer:mad:

[sandra]

What a stupid person! :mad:

[Est]

Just emailed:

Dear Sir/Madam

This morning I was browsing through a friend’s back issues of Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine, and we were both appalled to see an excellent vegan cookery book relegated to the “Shelves of Shame” section for no reason other than being vegan. The writer put:

“The litmus test for owning too many cookbooks? A vegan cupcakes slot on your shelf. Of course, omnivores will concede that vegans shouldn't miss out but surely 75 recipes for dairy- & egg-free fairy cakes is 74 more than is necessary? Then again, 'total cupcake domination' is the authors' aim. Consider yourselves warned."

As I own a copy of the cook book in question and have personally made, eaten and very much enjoyed most of the delicious – and varied – cupcakes in it, I consider myself somewhat more qualified to comment on the book than a biased and ill-informed journalist operating from a position of complete prejudice, who has evidently never tried any of the recipes. Full marks for a snappy sound-bite. No marks whatsoever for providing a helpful review, as it was anything but.

Having successfully offended any vegan, strict vegetarian and dairy- or lactose-intolerant readers – as well as any who try to minimise their intake of animal-based products due to the horrific conditions that exist in the modern-day livestock and dairy industries – I’d suggest that Waitrose sticks to reviewing cookery books that have actually been tried and tested rather than filling the pages of this otherwise excellent magazine with meaningless clutter.

I’d be interested to know if Waitrose intends to do a proper review of this book in the future? The recipes are really outstanding and it seems very unfair to leave the book, and by association the authors, with this slur on their reputations simply because one journalist unfortunately didn’t know any better.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

"Est"

[Est]

That review has really annoyed me!

If anyone else wants to have a whinge at 'em, here's the details:

Magazine peeps:

John Brown Publishing
136-142 Bramley Road
London
W10 6SR
By email: food@johnbrowngroup.co.uk (food@johnbrowngroup.co.uk)
By Telephone: 020 7565 3117
By Fax: 020 7565 3076

Waitrose customer services:

Freephone: 0800 188 884
Email: customer_service@waitrose.co.uk (customer_service@waitrose.co.uk)
By post:
Waitrose Customer Service Department
Waitrose Limited
Doncastle Road
Bracknell
Berkshire
RG12 8YA

[cedarblue]

super letter est!!

i'm going to write to their letters page about it - see if they've got the gumption to publish it :)